Please follow these steps when you see an issue on the map from an editor such as “red roads” and “Multiple lanes within Parking lot.”
• Take a screen shot of the area with the editor’s name is visible.
• Identify the issue, highlight segment or segments and get a permalink.
• Send PM to the editor in question and CC your Regional Coordinator.
• In that PM, explain the issue and pin point the correct link or links within Waze Wiki “Best map editing practice.”
E.g. Issue with multiple lanes within parking lot use the following link:http://www.waze.com/wiki/Best_map_editing_practice#Shopping_Centers
I’ve put together a template for people to use so we can establish a uniform message when sending a message to an editor who is not compliant with Waze’s Guidelines.
I used this excellent script a couple times today. I would only add one phrase (something like this) to give a little positive reinforcement: We do appreciate your efforts and would like you to continue to be involved with editing the map.
Here is part of the message I use - not that it is better. It’s different in that I assume that the person read the wiki but didn’t understand it (I can relate to that). Now that chat is available, I added an invitation to utilize live chat. You might find that you want to adapt some of my content.
I’m not keen for the verb review. It’s more likely that I was correcting a problem. I like to say something more like “I came across your work …”, not like I was spying or checking up.
Welcome to Waze editing. There is a lot to do to get started.
Please come to chat to discuss your recent edits including [url={insert permalink}]this trail / parking lot / park / street / shopping center[/url]. You can gets lots of advice and assistance.
Waze champs and other editors use chat to assist each other with a wide range of problems. Even by “listening” in, you can learn a lot. They will be glad to help you too and answer questions about editing.
Another thought I have for this and the canned UR responses is that these are national issues and I would like to see them promoted from the Pennsylvania forum to the US level as soon as possible.
I agree with practically everything in this thread. I choose a slightly different tone, because I don’t want new editors to get defensive. They have practically no choice but to do things wrong, because they have no guidance until we discover them making mistakes.
I have been working on this issue practically since i started editing here.
I did start the “welcome new waze editors” guide that is now part of the manual.
Next, I have been working on a guide that ANY editor can use when welcoming new editors.
The list of permalinks and how-to-fix-it wikilnks is to be inserted after the first paragraph in the canned message I avoid words like “compliant” because compliance is not the main issue. Understanding what things actually improve the map is the issue, and I like to avoid making new editors feel defensive. That slows the process down every time.
Every waze editor is part of the welcoming committee, whether they know it or not.
Your help improving this guide for even new editors to help new editors is welcome. When this is good enough, I want to push it national, also.
Here is the “outreach” message I use (anyone is welcome to use it and modify as needed). I hear back from a lot of new editors when using this template.
