[OSM-newbies] Proposal to close newbies@ list

[Richard Fairhurst]

Hi all,

Usage of the ***@openstreetmap.org mailing list, set up in 2007 to
provide help to new users, has dwindled to almost nothing. There were no
posts in September, October, November, or December.

Generally we now have better places to provide help to new users -
principally http://help.openstreetmap.org/ , but also national forums
and mailing lists. There is also more OSM documentation than was once
the case.

So that new users don't seek help in a little-used backwater, but
instead go to a place where help is more likely to be found, I'm
proposing (as list admin) to close the list to subscriptions and to
posting. The list archives would be retained.

If you have a compelling reason why the list should not be closed,
please speak up now. You'll need to volunteer to be the admin though. ;)

cheers
Richard

[Fanie]

Hi Richard,

I have dabbled in map corrections only lightly, and I enjoyed the
experience. I still consider myself a newby, though. OSM did help me to
navigate from Poland to The Netherlands during a holiday, so I remain a fan.

I have been following this newsletter for some time, and it gave me some
understanding of what is possible in OSM. I want to thank you for your
dedication, and though I am slightly sad that the newsletter will be no
more, I cannot really justify its existence. It did give me pleasure.

Greetings,

Fanie van der Walt
Pretoria, South Africa

Post by Richard Fairhurst
Hi all,
provide help to new users, has dwindled to almost nothing. There were
no posts in September, October, November, or December.
Generally we now have better places to provide help to new users -
principally http://help.openstreetmap.org/ , but also national forums
and mailing lists. There is also more OSM documentation than was once
the case.
So that new users don't seek help in a little-used backwater, but
instead go to a place where help is more likely to be found, I'm
proposing (as list admin) to close the list to subscriptions and to
posting. The list archives would be retained.
If you have a compelling reason why the list should not be closed,
please speak up now. You'll need to volunteer to be the admin though. ;)
cheers
Richard
_______________________________________________
newbies mailing list
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/newbies

[Abhijit Kshirsagar]

Hello,

I'm in favor of closing this list.

I've been using OSM for 5+ years now, and really happy with it.
I started contributing only recently, and I joined all the mailing
lists I could find at the time.
As a newbie I found that the documentation is quite scattered, so
maybe the last few posts on this list could be
a summary of the resource base for newbies.

Regards,

Abhijit
Bangalore, India

[Xan]

The only reason about maintaining that is because, in my opinion, the help.openstreetmap.org answers are shorter than here in the mailing list. Here the newbies have very deep explanation of things and in help.OSM just a short message.

But close if you are overwheelmed.

On Mon, 11 Jan 2016 14:28:27 +0000

Post by Richard Fairhurst
Hi all,
provide help to new users, has dwindled to almost nothing. There were no
posts in September, October, November, or December.
Generally we now have better places to provide help to new users -
principally http://help.openstreetmap.org/ , but also national forums
and mailing lists. There is also more OSM documentation than was once
the case.
So that new users don't seek help in a little-used backwater, but
instead go to a place where help is more likely to be found, I'm
proposing (as list admin) to close the list to subscriptions and to
posting. The list archives would be retained.
If you have a compelling reason why the list should not be closed,
please speak up now. You'll need to volunteer to be the admin though. ;)
cheers
Richard
_______________________________________________
newbies mailing list
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/newbies

[Dave F.]

Post by Xan
The only reason about maintaining that is because, in my opinion, the help.openstreetmap.org answers are shorter than here in the mailing list. Here the newbies have very deep explanation of things and in help.OSM just a short message.

Those that help here will more than likely transfer to the other sites &
where they will give their long answers.

Post by Xan
But close if you are overwheelmed.

I believe being 'underwhelmed' is the reason for the proposal.

Dave F.

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[Dorine Flies]

I think there exists a presumption that "everyone" has access to the sites
and portals mention, this presumption is not wholly accurate and
additionally the ability to read and navigate online is a challenge still
for many, where a direct question here would help to keep them engaged,
rather than disengage for want of a simple way to find an answer.

I was particularly struck when I attended the London meetup at just how
diverse the group was in age range, one lady while competent once taught,
step by step the how to, I would argue would have found the web content a
challenge, as with web content the presumption is that you know what you
are looking for in the first place.

From my perspective what I see as the issue of being "underwhelm" here is
more a case that no one is signposting newbies to the list at a localised
level rather than that there is no need for it.


[image: --]
EPIK
[image: http://]about.me/dorine_flies
<http://about.me/dorine_flies>

Post by Dave F.

Post by Xan
The only reason about maintaining that is because, in my opinion, the
help.openstreetmap.org answers are shorter than here in the mailing
list. Here the newbies have very deep explanation of things and in help.OSM
just a short message.

Those that help here will more than likely transfer to the other sites &
where they will give their long answers.
But close if you are overwheelmed.
I believe being 'underwhelmed' is the reason for the proposal.
Dave F.
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_______________________________________________
newbies mailing list
https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/newbies