The standard tile layer should show where data is weak

[ZeLonewolf]

Proposed Behavior

The standard tile layer (tiles shown on tile.openstreetmap.org and the map shown by default on openstreetmap.org) has a policy of displaying OSM data for the following purposes:

• Display the breadth of OpenStreetMap data
• Provide a feedback mechanism for mappers to validate their edits
• Helps to prevent unfavorable fragmentation of tag use

Discussion

The standard tile layer uses the OpenStreetMap Carto (AKA osm-carto) style. A recent discussion in gravitystorm/openstreetmap-carto#4723 proposes to change the goals of osm-carto to increase the emphasis on mapper feedback and QA visualization, and more actively steer users in their mapping and tagging practices by explicitly negatively highlighting faulty/incomplete mapping. Thus far, the sole osm-carto maintainer participating in that discussion is opposed to changing the goals of the osm-carto style, commenting:

This idea IMO goes against the very core principles of OSM as a project where local mappers are free to map what they locally consider to be important and to decide - through bottom-up consensus building processes and equal-level interaction - on how to map it.

I am posting this as an operations ticket as the potential scope of change desired, and possible solution space spans technical, organizational, and philosophical concerns. This ticket is intended to capture discussion on whether it's a good idea for the standard tile layer to have an increased QA emphasis independent of a discussion of the goals of osm-carto. Possible solutions might include decoupling the standard tile layer from osm-carto if the goals of that style are incompatible with the broader organization's goals for the standard tile layer.

[tomhughes]

Operations have no control over the carto project nor do we produce tile layers.

If there is a layer you would like to see on the map then there is a policy where you can propose it to us and we will make a decision on adding it.

[Firefishy]

I'll discuss this at the next Ops call, currently scheduled for 17th November 2022.

[tomhughes]

This is not in scope for OWG so I will not participate in any such discussion.

[matkoniecz]

technical, organizational, and philosophical concerns

Are organizational, and philosophical concerns within scope of OWG in this case? I am not 100% sure who decides which style gets displayed as default but I would not expect it to be decision taken by sysadmins (I assume that Ops call is about sysadmin tasks).

technical

that would apply in case of decision of changing default map layer handling, right?

or as feedback what is needed as far as technical issues are concerned?

[imagico]

The statement from me that has been quoted here has been taken out of context and is framed in a way that does not represent its actual meaning. If you are interested in what it actually means please read on the OSM-Carto tracker and be careful to consider the context and to recognize the nuances.

It is pretty self evident to me this whole matter is off-topic here but i also understand that while - as @tomhughes mentioned - there is a clear policy for tile layers on osm.org, the OSMF has never developed any policy w.r.t. what style(s) are rendered on OSMF infrastructure. I pointed out this is a problem on several occasions, last on gravitystorm/openstreetmap-carto#4581 (comment). And considering the percentage of operations resources that goes into tile serving this is a glaring omission.

As long as this is the case the only policy that exists on what decides on what is shown on the 'Standard' map layer on osm.org is OSM-Carto's guidelines and the OSM-Carto issue tracker is the right place to discuss this policy.