Data Working Group 2017 Q4 Case Report
Background
The Data Working Group (DWG) filed 126 cases for the time period from 1 October 2017 to 31 December
2017. Some inquiries were handled quickly without any official action on the Data Working Group’s part–usually due to the inquiry not falling under the purview of the Data Working Group.
Generally, when a complaint is brought to the DWG, the complainant is asked to first open dialogue withthe user in question. This is accomplished through the channels of changeset discussions, forum and mailinglist posts, or private messages as a last resort. DWG members may also choose to become directly involvedin this communication immediately; otherwise, they will wait for a response from the user. Changeset
discussions are viewable by everyone and are preferred as other OSM users can also provide input and sothat the communication trail can be established.
If a user is unresponsive after a period of time but continues to edit the map, they will often be given a
0 hour block. This block requires them to log into the OSM website and read the block message set by a
DWG member. In some cases, a user performing large-scale edits or using incompatible data sources may
be blocked immediately to provide a pause for analysis and limit the amount of data added to the database.
Data that are found to be in conflict with the OSM license or community standards of practice may
be reverted either by a DWG member or by a member of the community if requested. Data may also
be redacted completely from the database, especially for egregious copyright violations. Occasionally theDWG receives requests or complaints from the general public through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
compliance email address; correctly mapped data is usually not modified, but small changes in classifications
or representation may be made by DWG members.
In every case, the DWG gives mappers the benefit of the doubt and that they are acting with goodintentions. Complaints may indeed be ruled as unfounded or incorrect if the alleged is correctly mapping.
Perhaps the features added are very new, and a user surveyed that data but did not indicate this in theirchangeset. Alternatively, the user may be adding survey data from a holiday a few weeks prior that was
greatly removed from their home. In these instances, tickets are closed out and no further action is taken.

1Case list

2

Created2017-12-31
2017-12-29
2017-12-28
2017-12-28
2017-12-28
2017-12-27
2017-12-27
2017-12-27
2017-12-27
2017-12-27
2017-12-26
2017-12-26
2017-12-24
2017-12-23
2017-12-23
2017-12-22
2017-12-22
2017-12-21
2017-12-21
2017-12-20
2017-12-20
2017-12-19
2017-12-19
2017-12-18
2017-12-18
2017-12-15
2017-12-15
2017-12-15
2017-12-15
2017-12-14
2017-12-13
2017-12-13
2017-12-13
2017-12-13
2017-12-12
2017-12-12Type
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessuser conflict and non-responsivenessuser conflict and non-responsivenessuser conflict and non-responsiveness
non-international external complaint about data
general request for information
spam or poor mappingotherspam or poor mapping
API misuse
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
other
other
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
general request for information
request to remove personal data
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mappingotherspam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
request to remove personal data
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
otherRegionNone
Spain
PolandNorth America
Belgium
Sri Lanka
n/aKazakhstan
USAUSA
AfricaEuropeBelarus
North America
Asia
unknown
BrazilBelarus
India
EuropeEurope
RussiaAfricaEuropeUSA
Italy
PortugalIndonesia
CanadaUSA
KosovoNorth America
EuropeSpain
North America
EuropeAction
block issued, hiding of notes or comments
block issued, changeset commented, reverted
block issued
advice given
advice given
otheradvice given
block issued, reverted
advice given
otherblock issued
advice given
advice given
block issued
block issued
otheradvice given, changeset commented
block issued, reverted
advice given
advice given
block issued
no action needed
advice given
hiding of notes or comments
block issued, reverted
block issued
community contacted
otherchangeset commented
block issued, changeset commented, reverted
revertedhiding of notes or comments
block issued
reverted
advice given
block issued

3

Created2017-12-11
2017-12-10
2017-12-10
2017-12-08
2017-12-07
2017-12-06
2017-12-04
2017-12-04
2017-12-03
2017-12-03
2017-12-02
2017-12-01
2017-11-30
2017-11-29
2017-11-29
2017-11-28
2017-11-28
2017-11-27
2017-11-25
2017-11-25
2017-11-23
2017-11-23
2017-11-23
2017-11-21
2017-11-20
2017-11-20
2017-11-17
2017-11-17
2017-11-16
2017-11-15
2017-11-15
2017-11-14
2017-11-14
2017-11-13
2017-11-13
2017-11-12
2017-11-12
2017-11-11

Type
general request for information
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mapping
undiscussed or other problematic importspam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsiveness
non-international external complaint about data
user conflict and non-responsivenessgeneral request for information
spam or poor mapping
otheruser conflict and non-responsivenessuser conflict and non-responsiveness
non-international external complaint about dataotherspam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
international dispute
spam or poor mappingotherspam or poor mapping
undiscussed mechanical edit
import from potentially incompatible source
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessotherspam or poor mapping
general request for information
undiscussed or other problematic importspam or poor mapping
non-international external complaint about data

Regionn/aUSAAfricaItaly
North America
USAEurope
Netherlands
GBChina
North America
Australia
EuropeKazakhstan
Afghanistan
RussiaRussiaUSA
GlobalAsia
China
Finland
Asia
CrimeaRussiaArgentina
Russiaworld-wide
BrazilAfrica, EuropeUSA
Argentina
AlaskaNorth America
N/ANorth America
Indonesia
EuropeActionadvice given
block issued
advice given
otheradvice given
block issued, changeset commented, reverted
advice given
block issued
block issued
block issued
no action needed
no action needed
advice given
block issued
advice given
advice given
block issued
advice given
advice given
advice givenchangeset commented
block issued
advice given
otherblock issued, changeset commented
block issued
block issued
changeset commented
advice given, changeset commented, community contacted
block issued, reverted
block issued, revertedchangeset commented
advice given
advice given
advice given
advice given
revertedother4Created2017-11-10
2017-11-10
2017-11-09
2017-11-08
2017-11-07
2017-11-07
2017-11-07
2017-11-062017-11-06
2017-11-06
2017-11-05
2017-11-03
2017-11-02
2017-10-31
2017-10-31
2017-10-29
2017-10-29
2017-10-29
2017-10-28
2017-10-28
2017-10-27
2017-10-26
2017-10-26
2017-10-26
2017-10-25
2017-10-25
2017-10-25
2017-10-24
2017-10-24
2017-10-24
2017-10-24
2017-10-23
2017-10-21
2017-10-20
2017-10-16
2017-10-15
2017-10-14
2017-10-14Typespam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsiveness
request to remove personal data
spam or poor mapping
undiscussed mechanical edit
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessother
non-international external complaint about data
user conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mapping
international dispute
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessuser conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mapping
undiscussed or other problematic import
general request for information
user conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mapping
import from potentially incompatible source
user conflict and non-responsivenessspam or poor mapping
undiscussed mechanical edit
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
spam or poor mappinguser conflict and non-responsivenessotherspam or poor mapping
non-international external complaint about data
spam or poor mapping
undiscussed or other problematic importspam or poor mapping

Region
North America
EuropeEurope
Asia
South America
GlobalEuropeEurope
Australia
Australasia
N/AEurope
Antigua
Asia
EuropeAsia
Germany
Australasia
PolandAfrica
England
North America
Asia
Colombia
RussiaPolandEurope
Germany
Germany
Asia
Asia
PolandEurope
Asia
Sweden
North America
ItalyEuropeActionadvice given
advice given
hiding of notes or comments
advice given
advice given
block issued
advice givenchangeset commentedreverted
block issued
advice givenreverted
block issued
block issued
changeset commented
advice given
block issued
block issued
block issued
reverted
advice given
advice given
revertedchangeset commented, reverted
block issued
advice given
advice given, reverted
block issued
block issued
block issued
advice given
block issued
advice given
advice given
redacted
block issued
reverted
advice given

Created
2017-10-13
2017-10-12
2017-10-12
2017-10-11
2017-10-11
2017-10-10
2017-10-09
2017-10-09
2017-10-08
2017-10-08
2017-10-07
2017-10-05
2017-10-04
2017-10-03

Typeotheruser conflict and non-responsiveness
undiscussed or other problematic importspam or poor mapping
spam or poor mapping
import from potentially incompatible source
spam or poor mapping
undiscussed or other problematic importinternational disputegeneral request for information
user conflict and non-responsiveness
import from potentially incompatible source
undiscussed or other problematic import
DMCA noticeRegionUkraineGermany
WorldwideUSA
CanadaUSA
RussiaPuerto Rico
Asia
GlobalGermany
Australasia
Philippines
EuropeActionchangeset commented
block issued
block issued
reverted
advice given
advice given
block issued, changeset commented, reverted
block issued, changeset commented, reverted
redacted
advice given
block issued, changeset commented
advice given, changeset commented, reverted
revertedcommunity contacted5

Reporting methodology
Each case listed is identified by the creation date of the ticket, the type of issue or complaint, the region
affected, and DWG action on the case.
Cases are manually coded into the following highly generalized categories:• API misuse: user abusing API for editing.
• DMCA notice: legal entity filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notice.
• General request for information: a query about a data type, a process, or other at least semi-DWG
related matter.
• Import from incompatible source: user adding copyrighted or otherwise incompatibly licensed data.
• International dispute: mapping dispute related to international issues, such as border representations
or international attributes on objects.
• Non-international external complaint about data: an outside entity with a data issue (e.g. private
property, incorrect tag).
• Request for technical help: community request for DWG expertise, usually in reverting a complex setof data.
• Request to remove personal data: complaint about identifying information added to the database,whether on objects or notes.
• Spam or poor mapping: a user adding spam data or generally degrading data quality.
• Undiscussed mechanical edit: user employing technical means to edit OSM with limited or no humanintervention and not following the automated edits code of conduct.
• Undiscussed or other problematic import: user importing data without following the guidelines.
• User conflict or non-responsiveness: a conflict between one or more mappers, possibly due to nonresponsiveness in discussions about the mapping occurring.
• Other: issue that does not necessarily fit into one of these categories.
Reporting methodologies differed from the current system prior to 2017, so the listed action may be only
one of the many DWG actions for the case. Nevertheless, action definitions are:• Advice given: information is provided to the party.
• Block issued: a user block is issued for a user.
• Changeset commented: a DWG member reached out in a comment on an involved changeset.
• Hiding of notes or comments: in the case of personal data or spam, the note or comment was hiddenfrom public view.
• No action needed: the community resolved the case, the suspected violation was indeed not actuallytrue, or the case required no intervention.
• Reverted: data in question were reverted and possibly redacted.
• Other: action does not necessarily fit into one of these categories.
The use of region names in this report is not an endorsement of any particular claim of sovereignty orstatehood.
Prepared by Ethan Nelson for the Data Working Group6