2009/4/23 Ulf Lamping <ulf.lamp...@googlemail.com>: I too am on the position the user shouldn't be forced to a comment as much worth a useful comment has.
> What we really (also) need to explain is: *what* we want users to enter > into this field! It's not enough to convince people to do something, > it's also essential to enable them to actually do it! > > I'm thinking more of users thoughts like: "Oh, I have to enter a comment > here. But what do they expect here?!? Maybe the source of my mapping > data? Or do I need to mention the area involved? Is there any format > that I have to follow here?" and so on. That's exactly what I think can be a problem for users. Users should have an idea of what type of comment is expected and connected to this what it will be used for, where it will appear. Getting that information to the user is the problem. While adding that on a wiki page (JOSM help page) wouldn't be a big deal (and should be done anyway including a link on the startup notes) it's still an obstacle and putting a five line label on the comment dialog elaborating the point of it doesn't help either. >> Whether or not entering a commit comment is mandatory - the complexity >> remains, and the need to explain to the user why we want him to enter one. > > Well, no, having a label like: > > "Comment (leave empty if unsure):" > > would easily remove the complexity for the first time users ... Maybe a bit more specific like "Freetext comment on your changes (leve empty if unsure):" but apart from that I'm out of ideas myself. Rolf _______________________________________________ josm-dev mailing list josm-dev@openstreetmap.org http://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/josm-dev
