[OSM-talk] Could JOSM be dumbed down?

[stevea]

As long as I'm thinking of it I might as well say it here.  John is a smart man and can unhook/rehook some xml "parts" of JOSM to make an "Expert Mode" as a new "Novice Mode."  Design, spec (could be only to yourself, like "this looks like a good subset for a first draft...") and build.  Presto, we are off to the races:  coupled with some "Jump into JOSM:  The Basics in 30 minutes" video tutorials (that might be harder than the "coding" which seems like you are actually subtracting from a module already built, Expert Mode, so I'd say "rather quickly doable" even as I don't do it myself).  So, (John), the pieces are all there.  If you are asking for permission (or forgiveness?) here, I'll offer and even give both!  It is a good idea and seems to resonate around the world (in a sense, Martin contributing here helps me understand this better to mean "has multi-continental support and even 'kindred spirit'" in the sense we have "roughly taught" JOSM before).  One hour later there's somebody who has gas in her tank to add even more data, with enthusiasm and eagerness to learn how to pilot a rocket ship right around the corner.  Yeah, cool.

I'm certain I've already seen "largely this," (sans a new JOSM "module") so we're not exactly reinventing anything.  I do like the idea of an explicit Novice Mode (I imagine not terribly difficult to make) coupled with some video tutorials on Basics 1 and 2...it'd be a month done right and a year done well.  Um, that's a budget I might offer it, would I have such time to offer like that.  If John or somebody does, great.  If it's a bad idea, somebody is likely to quash it sooner or later.

That's OSM, ladies and gentlemen (well, partly as I see it).  Sparks like this catch fire.  Who knows what will happen?  Plant seeds, things grow.  All that stuff.