Criteria for new links in default list

[jgpacker]

OSM Smart Menu wants to support as many websites as it can!

However, if too many links are present in the extension after installation, new users may be overloaded with too much information at once, struggling to make sense of what's useful and what's not. Am I worrying too much? Or is this already the case...?

OSM Smart Menu already allows users to add new links according to common URL patterns, and will allow users to add new links using URL templates. Perhaps users will also be able to import lists someday?

There are many interesting links, so some decisions may be arbitrary, but here are some possible criteria for a default links list:

• should be usable in a mobile browser (e.g. Firefox for Android);
• should support major competitors (Google, Bing, etc)
• may help to introduce interesting OpenStreetMap niches to beginners (3d, indoor mapping, art, etc)
• should support different languages or be usable to users that don't speak the website's language (can Google Translate help here?);

Some links may be available in the default list, but be disabled by default. Which criteria should I use for this?

Should OSM QA tools be available in the default links list?

Please give your thoughts.

Note: some links that exist in the default list today may be removed in the future (if it makes sense).

[willemarcel]

I prefer tools related to OSM and I don't mind about mobile, as I only use it on the Desktop.

[joker234]

OSM Smart Menu wants to support as many websites as it can!

:+1:

However, if too many links are present in the extension after installation, new users may be overloaded with too much information at once, struggling to make sense of what's useful and what's not. Am I worrying too much? Or is this already the case...?

There are many links in your list. I think it would be nice to keep them and just preselect less in the configuration.

OSM Smart Menu already allows users to add new links according to common URL patterns, and will allow users to add new links using URL templates. Perhaps users will also be able to import lists someday?

Is it also possible yet to add pages to be recognized?

There are many interesting links, so some decisions may be arbitrary, but here are some possible criteria for a default links list:

• should be usable in a mobile browser (e.g. Firefox for Android);

Do you know how many people are using maps in a mobile browser and not other Apps? I — personally — use only osm.org sometimes on the smartphone to query specific objects (like nodes). All other map purposes are better served by Apps like OSMAnd (for me). It's a nice to have, but I wouldn't focus on that or require that.

• should support major competitors (Google, Bing, etc)

• may help to introduce interesting OpenStreetMap niches to beginners (3d, indoor mapping, art, etc)

:+1:

• should support different languages or be usable to users that don't speak the website's language (can Google Translate help here?);

Some links may be available in the default list, but be disabled by default. Which criteria should I use for this?

I would say the same as above: a page for the main purposes: routing, osm.org (for sure), transport (ÖPNVKarte), OSM tools

Should OSM QA tools be available in the default links list?

Depends on the target group. I would say yes, if your addon is targeted more to OSM editors than pure users.

[jidanni]

It seems "links to lists of links" (#26) should be included, for the mere reason that they "double the amount of links, for the price of just one."

[bolli24]

Regarding:

* should support major competitors (Google, Bing, etc)

Maybe other mapping services should not be in the default list, because it could lead to people copying them.

[jidanni]

Maybe other mapping services should not be in the default list, because it could lead to people copying them.

We don't copy, but we do compare. So direct Google StreetView links should be there too.

[DaveF63]

Hi Just started using your add-on, so may have missed something.

Am I worrying too much? Or is this already the case...?

It maybe a little on the long side. I'm going through the defaults & removing those I don't use.

Maybe a webpage with a clickable list of all appropriate websites which would add each desired site?

Maybe a submenu system dividing the list into sections: General maps, Niche maps, Validators, Editors etc?

I think country specific lists would be useful. In the UK we've a few, including:

https://www.geograph.org.uk/mapper/combined.php#18/51.47773/-0.00135 https://www.bing.com/maps?v=2&cp=51.47774~-0.00179&lvl=17&sty=s https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=51.47774&lon=-0.00179&layers=168&b=1

[Bibi56]

Country specific would be great (like imagery in iD/JOSM). But already adding a site in a click is very convenient.

[Bibi56]

I've started to create a list of list, see https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Talk:OSM_Smart_Menu#Advanced_method_to_add_new_links. Feedback and improvements welcome.

[Bibi56]

@DaveF63, probably due to Brexit related logistics issues, Santa Claus came a day late: :gift: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Talk:OSM_Smart_Menu#United_Kingdom_-_Great-Britain. Feel free to update: I guess Bing is global and is the link provided by default.

[Bibi56]

Should OSM QA tools be available in the default links list?

Sure, if we add the concept of categories, deselecting could a click away. Same for country-dependent lists, by default selecting the language list as defined on the browser.

Possibly we could introduce a property or a template to make the integration with OSM Smart Menu easier. Other tools could use those lists too. @jgpacker your thoughts? @pyrog I guess you may have interesting input.

[DaveF63]

I guess Bing is global and is the link provided by default.

The Bing URL will display the Ordnance Survey map within the UK & standard Bing elsewhere.