[OSM-talk] Dispute over note closure

[Andy Townsend]

On 27/10/2024 12:50, Andy Mabbett wrote:
> The note has been closed again.
>
>
Indeed it has, by someone not previously involved.  I suspect that this 
might be because this week's issue of WeeklyOSM 
https://weeklyosm.eu/archives/17560 mentioned it (see also 
https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/weeklyosm-team-a-thread/1961 for a 
more general link to that).

I don't think that there is much more to add that has already been said, 
especially Greg's "The two parties aren't really communicating well" at 
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2024-October/088593.html 
.  You have explained more on this mailing list than on the note itself 
why you think that the note should remain open; @Koreller did much the 
same on Discord (where I said much the same to them as other people have 
said to you on this list).

Often, OSM notes can be left for local mappers to follow up.  In this 
case the note is in North Korea,  so we have to assume that that is not 
going to happen.  Some people obsessively create notes for "things that 
could perhaps be better mapped" and some obsessively close notes as part 
of their workflow; neither approach is helpful if taken to the extreme.  
In this case North Korea has very few open notes: 
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/192734#map=8/39.571/126.520&layers=HN 
so I suspect that someone in the second category is perhaps active there.

Given the lack of local mappers I'd actually suggest that trying to 
communicate by OSM notes isn't a great idea here*.  Instead I'd suggest 
that everyone uses a forum thread, perhaps continuing either 
https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/ordered-and-disordered-cemeteries-in-north-korea-mapping-them-to-be-able-to-distinguish-them/102074 
or 
https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/your-views-on-my-contribution-guide-on-north-korea/94109 
- both of which seem to be exactly on topic and already involve the 
person who closed the note in the first place.

There, I'd suggest talking through what information you all have and 
what sources are available for use within OSM, and trying to discuss 
whether there might be any others in the latter category that might be 
used to help resolve things.  A note that says "we know that this is 
incomplete but don't have information available to complete it" isn't 
actionable.

Best Regards,

Yet another Andy

* I can somewhat understand the wish for better notes functionality 
mentioned earlier in the thread, but that won't help if two people 
basically don't want to talk to each other.