Get a sneak peek at whats next for Permanent Hazards on our April 7th Office Hours!

Post Reply

[New Page] Waze etiquette

Post by
https://wiki.waze.com/wiki/Waze_etiquette

I copied the content from the forum and then expanded it to include additional recommendations from the some of the USA champs. This page will be linked from the new Common State template for the USA.

POSTER_ID:7009939

1

Send a message

Post by coontex
I would have to say these are some good changes to this page. We'll done.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
coontex
Map Raider
Map Raider
Posts: 943
Has thanked: 199 times
Been thanked: 271 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
Wonderful work. I find myself breathing more deeply just reading it :)

One point of confusion, the section title "Senior editor advice" puzzles me as I can't make out if that means "Advice to senior editors" or "Advice from senior editors" or "Advice regarding senior editors".

But regarding editing seniority/rank, it's worth repeating that rising seniority comes with rising responsibility to be a good example. Any advice one gives, and any action one takes or fails to take, is magnified by one's rank. Maybe exponentially. If a junior editor sees just one senior editor take the wikis unseriously, then he will too.

(This was brought home to me years ago when I was learning to captain small sailboats. I stepped aboard the wrong way and the teacher caught me. I said, "but it was perfectly safe that time and I was careful." He said, "once your crew sees you step aboard that way, they will step aboard that way.")
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
Is there a wiki on dealing with bad or naïve edits? I couldn't find one but maybe it's there.

All of us regularly find bad edits, including some listed in the "poor etiquette" table. Red roads, excessive parking-lot roads, improper roundabouts, overlapping roads, Places that do not comply with the wiki, etc. If we have time, we roll up our sleeves and attack these bad edits with gusto, connecting, correcting, and deleting as necessary. Not without frustration. One editor in the chat cursed the beginners whose work was being cleaned up, saying "they take a crap and leave". I bet a lot of us can understand that sentiment.

But, one also hears that it is a Very Bad Thing to delete or significantly modify another editor's work, including the work of beginning editors, without a serious effort to contact and mentor. And it's important to have compassion for beginning editors. After all they are encouraged to edit the maps with little training. The lack of required training is an absolutely intentional policy, so abundant mistakes are in effect part of Waze's design and not really the beginners' fault.

So what is the advancing editor to do? Respond to every single red road and improper roundabout by attempting a mentoring dialogue, perhaps involving multiple PMs and a polite wait of several weeks, perhaps involving conflict? Assume that most Rank 1s are not interested in such a dialogue, go ahead with the rework, and then lock the fixes? Leave things that don't cause any real harm and hope the editor comes back and improves them?

I don't know if this belongs in an etiquette wiki but etiquette is involved.
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
Maybe a free-standing wiki titled "Repairing incorrect edits". It could have two sections, one for the one doing the repairing, another explaining the situation to those whose work is being repaired.

Editors repairing incorrect edits could simply PM a link to this free-standing wiki without further discussion, and the text in the wiki would take it from there.

I could take a stab at this unless someone else would like to do it.
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
kentsmith9 wrote:That sounds like a helpful page. I am open to you working up something.
Here is a bare-bones outline draft. Gives you an idea where I'm thinking to go with this. The link to this forum thread will change when the first draft is released, I'll start a new thread then.

https://wiki.waze.com/wiki/User:DwarfLo ... rect_edits
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
The first draft of a wiki on "responding to incorrect edits" is finished except for images and appropriate wiki links. As promised above, here is a new thread for discussion:

viewtopic.php?f=276&t=100497
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
qwaletee wrote:we could begin proactive welcome messages with similar content, which the new page may help with.
Yes indeed, I was hoping it would make good proactive content for new editors. There is something a lot less personally difficult about reading a pre-written "common mistakes" wiki as opposed to receiving a PM saying you're WRONG :cry: and it's better still if you get the wiki before you make the mistakes.

We have the advantage of knowing what the vast majority of early-career mistakes look like. It's my dream that by taking advantage of that knowledge and dedicating a wiki to those mistakes we can make a significant difference to the integrity of the map -- not to mention to how advancing and senior editors spend their time! :D
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
I have never seen all content blanked/deleted from a page, but I have seen a significant fraction of a page removed with no warning or discussion. This was by a very senior editor who I was told probably had good reasons, so it was, apparently, OK.

So a minor comment, and perhaps a more major comment:

The minor comment is, would it be better to say "significant content" instead of "all content"? Blanking/deleting all content seems like an unlikely case.

The major comment is, should the article say something about the circumstances, if any, under which very senior editors (however one defines that) are eligible to disregard etiquette?
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by DwarfLord
kentsmith9 wrote:As for the Sr. Editor blanking a section without comment, that would still be in violation of this guideline if no reason was given for the removal and it was not in violation of any other guideline.
Would it be beneficial to spell that out explicitly in the article?

I mention it because a Global Champ once told me (though not quite in so many words) that is it OK for Global Champs to make significant changes to the wiki without any explanation, discussion, or notification whatsoever. The implication was that Global Champs know what they're doing so it's inappropriate and counterproductive to tie their hands. I can understand that perspective, although I feel it comes at the cost of disenfranchising the broader community.

Since that time others have suggested that elite rank carte blanche is not quite as blanche as that. In particular I'm aware that a process is now in place to flag unexpected changes to the global wiki, even when performed by trusted, elite-rank editors.

Still, it seems entirely possible that something like this will happen again, perhaps in a localized wiki such as the US. It would be nice to have the limits of elite-editor privilege explicit.
DwarfLord
Wiki Master
Wiki Master
Posts: 2512
Has thanked: 1065 times
Been thanked: 1451 times
Send a message

Post by Fredo-p
Maybe include a New York/New Jersey vocabulary to show what kind and polite words to use when one is trying to express their emotions in leaving comments? If so, I'd be glad to do it. I went to the Andrew Dice Clay school of charm, graduated with a degree in F*ck You-ology.
Fredo-p
Posts: 2008
Has thanked: 240 times
Been thanked: 522 times
Send a message

Arizona Wiki | @Waze_Arizona Twitter
Verizon Samsung Galaxy S8+