[OSM-talk] Let's think about how we use mailing lists (was: Re: Call for verification (Was: Re: VANDALISM !))

[Andy Townsend]

On 22/08/2020 09:12, pangoSE wrote:
> Here is yet another example of bad data in our database:
>
(to "pangoSE", via the list):

Sometimes it helps to think about how we react to things in the spur of 
the moment.  Martijn's anecdote was about something that he mapped 9 
years ago that was _correct at the time_ .

People occasionally claim that open mailing lists are "toxic" or 
similar, because they allow people to say things quickly without 
thinking, and anything posted can't later be deleted because it has been 
emailed to everyone.  Posts like the above don't help people who might 
be reserved about posting here from doing so.

Some of your recent posts (e.g. 
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2020-August/085281.html ) 
look indistinguishable from those that a troll might make to me.  You 
probably don't think of yourself as a troll - you just thing that you 
are asking "serious and pertinent questions". You're right that there's 
a discussion to be had about exactly how OSM and wikipedia et al are 
linked, but taking unrelated comments out of context doesn't help your 
argument - it'll just make it more likely that people will file all of 
your posts in the "round filing cabinet in the corner of the room" 
rather than read them.

Best Regards,

Andy (writing in a personal capacity, and not - thankfully - any sort of 
list moderator here)