Hi,
we have several channels in OSM to facilitate discussions and support.
First touch point for new users is often help.openstreetmap.org.
Questions relating to mapping in general, tagging, editors, development,
OSM based applications are asked there and get answered in most cases.
The site is based on OSQA, a software which has not been maintained in
some time. Some application errors have surface in the past but had to
be ignored since no fixes are coming from OSQA any more. Until now we
could live with that. They were annoying but not critical. There are
open tickets on OSM github to move the help site to some other framework
(https://github.com/openstreetmap/operations/issues/149,
https://github.com/openstreetmap/operations/issues/377) but there isn't
exactly an abundance of volunteers to take care of that.
Usability of help.openstreetmap.org has now seriously worsened over the
past few days with some js error popping up for longer and longer times
(https://help.openstreetmap.org/questions/74831/why-does-the-add-a-new-comment-button-sometimes-not-work).
Buttons to support formatting questions and answers are gone, comments
cannot be added and moderation functions (reporting, converting
questions to comments etc.) are not working anymore.
If this continuous we can shut down the site soon. Even if this problem
got resolved somehow it's only a matter of time until a new problem
arises. The site provides a low entry hurdles place to ask questions
that can be solved by simple answers. I'd hate so see it gone.
I'm neither a programmer who could help out on the technical side nor am
I involved in OSM organization and politics to have an idea on how this
could be sorted out. Question around: Can we find someone to take care
of the technical side? Can we involve any of the OSM organizations to
find, maybe pay, someone? Does the community even find it worthwhile
keeping the site?
cheers,
Tobias
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