[OSM-talk] Directed Editing Policy

[David Earl]

I and colleagues are affected by this policy in that we maintain the map,
which is based on OSM data, for the estate of the University of Cambridge
(obviously, not exclusively, but in practice, most of the work is done by
us, and there are some parts of the estate that aren't generally
accessible). As well as the main map, we have a number of little spin-off
projects, like one that's going on now to locate all specialist recycling
points in the University (paper and cans etc being ubiquitous, but things
like pens less so). The main part of the project was in 2012, and in one
way or another, I did in fact informally do most of what the policy would
require in the future.

While I don't think it's particularly unreasonable, the policy feels very
off-putting to me and I think it feels quite hostile to what is a benign
and desirable activity.

It's also all rather about their obligations to OSM. I think it could work
more positively both ways, giving assurances that if they've followed the
rules, there is some expectation that what they do can last into the future
and that their investment has some degree of security. Groups are making
changes for a reason, presumably. If they are doing so reasonably, it would
be really nice to think that their efforts were supported and encouraged,
not just accepted by sufferance as this policy feels, or even undermined.
If they are putting real money into developing the map, then not
undermining their efforts, supporting the declarations made in public under
the policy into the future. Give businesses putting in real money something
back for their investment in terms of support, not discouragement. OSM can
be a very hostile place to try to work within and slews of hostile reaction
to starting a project doesn't get it off to a good start.

Another part of the University, unrelated to the map group, did start
making changes, with a group of volunteers in a class, in exactly the
unfortunate way that this policy is designed to prevent (and I still
haven't undone all of them) because they just blundered in without thinking
about the co-operative nature of the project. They got stamped on pretty
promptly though by several of us (both within the University mapping
project and others, and not least because they broke the public map of the
University!) But unfortunately the effect of that was for them just to
abandon what they were doing rather than try to take advice in how to do it
right. Waving a formal policy in their face would have made things worse, I
think: the problem was they didn't understand, and a policy wouldn't have
made them understand any better - they wouldn't have been any more aware of
it than they were of any other aspect of what they were doing.

Putting other hats on, I sometimes produce paper maps for people, for
example, as a paid job. On the whole that need not concern OSM - I'm just a
data consumer for those purposes. However, it's a rare project where I
don't find something is wrong or incomplete in the data as I do it, and of
course I go in and correct it, either by surveying, or from local knowledge
or whatever - or, perhaps somewhat closer to this discussion - based on
information from the client, like building plans (copyright permitting of
course). So sometimes, it's only a side effect of a project that I discover
errors and fix them, things I would have done anyway without it being part
of a paid project, had I been aware of them.

But leaving aside the general points, there's some specific things:

(a) the policy is focussed around new activity, but we've been doing the
University map project for many years, so some of the requirements and
recommendations don't really fit.

(b) B2 starts "You *must* aim to comply with...".  Surely either "must" or
"should"; "must aim to" = "should" and "aim to" is fuzzy.

(c) A6 says 24 hours to reply to something. That seems a ridiculously short
time, especially as this is aimed at people who will most likely follow a
pattern of working days, possibly part time, take holidays and time off,
sleep and the like. Just because OSM keenies work at it 24/7 doesn't mean
everyone else does.

David
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