[OSM-talk] Fwd: Upcoming changes to OpenStreetMap.org website

[Pieren]

Pros:
- the "layers" tab is smaller vertically. It could be even better by
taking off the other maps samples which are unnecessarily overloading
the other tiles servers each time someone opens this tab.
- looks more "modern"

Cons:
- text attributs for the top menus. Fonts are very thin and colours
very light, almost transparent. This will be a problem when the site
is used in bad conditions (outdoor, sun, small devices) or by visual
impaired.
- you have two links ("About" and "Learn More") jumping to the same page.

In general:
- I fully agree that the link to the documentation and licence are
essential to the main page. It is not just "yet another slippy map
with different styles". We have to figure out that the licence terms
are explained in the small map link "© OpenStreetMap contributors" or
through the "About" page. How can we explain that the major difference
between OSM and Google Maps is its licence (e.g.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Google_Map_Maker) ?
- in the past, one part of the community said that the slippy map and
its default style should be less prominent or even hidden somewhere
behind the front page because OSM is mainly a database, not a slippy
map project and what is shown is just partial or may lead to "tag for
the renderers". I did not agree on that. I found the previous
situation where the map was on the main page but no so prominent was a
good compromise, especially when we see this page as a call for new
contributors. But now this trend to put the default slippy map (which
is far from perfect) as the major feature of the project is imho a
mistake. Improve a bit the default rendered style, add a routing
feature and the home page will be the open version of Google Maps
services. Is it the final goal of the website ?
- the "About" first sentence is very urban-centric : "OSM is built by
a community of local mappers that keeps data about roads, cafés,
subway stations, and much more up to date every day. ". First, many
areas in OSM are just empty. It's even not the question to "keep data
up-to-date" like it is in most of the urban cities in OSM but just
"create data". Second, I'm happy to see that our first example for
maintaining data up-to-date are for roads, cafés and ... subway
stations.
- the "community driven" section is talking about "engineers" and HOT
team but the average contributor, you know the one who is not an
engineer neither a remote armchair mapper in Africa or Asia, is not
mentionned even though it is the main part of the community.

Pieren