Map Editor version (August 12, 2012) Official Feedback

[shawndoc]

I'm still waiting on two Level 6 unlock requests from Thursday.

[LittlestLou]

Who can go around level 6? Did you reach out to Alan or Mapcat or one of those? Try posting in reply and I'll see if I can be of any help.

[jasonh300]

Post requests for level 6 unlocks in the Unlock thread, or PM me. Any of the Champs can handle it for you.

[kentsmith9]

I'm still waiting on two Level 6 unlock requests from Thursday.

Are you talking about Cone level 6 or Map Editor level (6)?
http://www.waze.com/wiki/index.php/Editing_ranks

[Mike-1323]

Are you talking about Cone level 6 or Map Editor level (6)?

Rank consolidation - one more thing that's being done "soon".

[bz2012]

Any chance you can restrict URs and MPs to AMs and CMs? Every time I report something, some idiot level 0 will close it for points.
This is not what Wazers expect to see in their inbox "We couldn't find a problem because some idiot thought they'd get some free points by closing your problem report, sorry about that. Waze"... Doesn't look too good and seems to be happening more often with more people coming through the door.

Hang on a second there! I haven't been doing this long, but one of the greatest satisfactions I get is from fixing a UR where I can - it means I'm directly contributing to the most important thing about Waze - helping other Wazers. Not to mention that I have left several URs for myself to remind me to look at a problem when I get home - because I can't keep stopping to enter the full details.

If someone closes your UR, you will get a message with a permalink to the request area.
That should remind you. I have NO objection when someone closes one of my URs. I am HAPPY to see someone else helping in this area.

I don't say there aren't some "idiot level 0"s out there, but I hope I'm not one of them! Today I took a trip way outside my normal area and kept Waze on. When I got back I saw 4 or 5 URs. One of them was quite obvious (an invalid u-turn allowed at the join of a dualled section) so I fixed it. The others, I left alone because I didn't know how to deal with them - mainly couldn't work out what the problem was. I left them for someone more experienced to deal with.

If you prevent people like me from fixing the URs we can do, we're not going to stick around long enough to find out if we have what it takes to be an AM.
[/rant]

Now, having said that, I could maybe see a justification for not letting people like me close URs without solving them. Although there will probably still be people who just mark them solved anyway - they will even make a trivial edit if an edit is made a requirement for fixing a UR.

After seeing the useful message that the USER sees when their requests are closed, EVEN IF the closure is a 'not identified', I am of the opinion that if the request can not be 'fixed', it should be closed as 'not identified' asap, NOT left open hoping someone else will 'solve it'.

This is because the USER that submitted it is then invited to learn how to fix the problem and to go ahead and fix it. If it is an important problem, someone else WILL submit a UR and someone that knows how to fix it WILL see it IF we get enough people helping.

I am of the opinion that outstanding 'very old URs' reflect poorly upon WAZE and the WAZE volunteers.

As a user, my feeling would be 'I went to all the trouble to report a problem and no one has bothered to even look at it. Nobody cares.'

In fact, I have read some URs from frustrated users that indicate that they have submitted the same requests, over and over, and seen no response.
If someone had bothered to 'not identified' it, then they would have at least gotten an e-mail explaining things.

If someone actually fixed it, then the USER gets a message warning them that it may take a while before the fix is visible to them. This is also a good idea and reduces some to the frustration of the users.

When I was supervising programmers, I would always remind them that 'It is the programmer's job to make things easier for the users. It is NOT the USER's job to make things easier for the programmers!'

With WAZE, the primary USERS are the drivers. The maps are not to look pretty, they are to give the drivers the proper instructions so that they get from A to B.

If 'turn only lanes' are present on the ground and drivers are complaining about bad junctions or bad driving directions or turn not allowed because they were in the wrong lane when they hit the intersection or WAZE is posting Problem Reports asking for roads to be drawn, then WE (the editors, acting as programmers) need to add the lanes, even if it 'looks messy' in the editor. I have had other editors 'simplify' intersections after I had added lanes to in response to URs or in response to my driving the route and getting wrong instructions. An intersection or road should NEVER be 'simplified' unless wrong driving instructions are being produced!

On the other hand, WE (the editors) are USERS as far as WAZE writers are concerned and THEY are the programmers that need to make things easier for US. It is NOT our job to make things easier for the WAZE programmers.

As for the problems with the NEW WME version and locking, I suggest that we can draw a LANDMARK around an 'other' area, name it 'please unlock ALL these segments' (or reduce the lock level on all these segments to X) and send the permalink to the people at https://www.waze.com/support/.

[iainhouse]

I do take your point that users should get a response. When I said I would leave URs for more experienced editors I didn't mean "for ever". We have some pretty active & experienced editors in my part of London. If I see a UR where I am unsure of the problem I leave it and one of them pretty quickly deals with it.

If a UR stayed for a few days I would close it and I do close the ones where there obviously isn't the info required.

As for the URs I leave - I agree, I have no problem if someone else solves it for me. I'm not after the points - I'm after a better map for everyone.

When I leave a "look at this later" UR it's a courtesy. I'm saying "dont waste your time trying to work out what I meant". But it's a good point that, even if someone closes it I'll get the link in the email. I'd forgotten about that.

I'm currently on vacation in a new area - seeing some very old URs and I'm doing my best to clear them, although probably too late for our reputation with those users.

[kentsmith9]

As for the problems with the NEW WME version and locking, I suggest that we can draw a LANDMARK around an 'other' area, name it 'please unlock ALL these segments' (or reduce the lock level on all these segments to X) and send the permalink to the people at https://www.waze.com/support/.

The Waze Champs received a message from Waze Support today that they are currently reviewing options to fix the permission/lock issues. It was clear that they have been monitoring all our feedback through the forums.

I don't recall seeing an expected ETA, but hopefully they will be able to execute it in short order. I assume Waze Support will post the plan as soon as they are ready to roll it out.

[shawndoc]

I'm still waiting on two Level 6 unlock requests from Thursday.

Are you talking about Cone level 6 or Map Editor level (6)?
http://www.waze.com/wiki/index.php/Editing_ranks

Editor level 6. Waze employee locks.

[FreeMan12]

As for the problems with the NEW WME version and locking, I suggest that we can draw a LANDMARK around an 'other' area, name it 'please unlock ALL these segments' (or reduce the lock level on all these segments to X) and send the permalink to the people at https://www.waze.com/support/.

The Waze Champs received a message from Waze Support today that they are currently reviewing options to fix the permission/lock issues. It was clear that they have been monitoring all our feedback through the forums.

I don't recall seeing an expected ETA, but hopefully they will be able to execute it in short order. I assume Waze Support will post the plan as soon as they are ready to roll it out.

Thanks for passing along the info. You may want to remind Waze Support of the positive feedback that was given when Ehud jumped into the map update thread to let us know every couple of days what was going on.

People get frustrated when they feel they're being ignored. People feel happy and are willing to wait when they at least get an acknowledgement of the situation by those responsible for fixing it. Something as simple as someone official posting here saying "We're aware of the problems, we're looking at fixing A, B & C, we're currently evaluating the options and your feedback has been helpful" would probably make most of us happy.