Logging visit vs editing waymark

[Country_Wife]

Because I don't currently have a GPS of my own, I'm very lucky to have a very active waymarker in my area. (In fact, his/her excellent waymark entries are the reason I'm starting to become active here myself.) I was about to log a visit to a waymark when I noticed that I also had a lot of information about this waymark that isn't already part of the main waymark entry.

 

I see that I'm allowed to edit a waymark to add this information, but I wonder if it would be better to just put the information (historical background) in my visit log. Or should I contact the person who first posted the waymark so that they can edit it, if they wish? As a newby, I don't want to step on any toes, and I know that different websites have different etiquette rules for their wikis (user-editable content). Any feedback would be appreciated!

[+Max and 99]

Because I don't currently have a GPS of my own, I'm very lucky to have a very active waymarker in my area. (In fact, his/her excellent waymark entries are the reason I'm starting to become active here myself.) I was about to log a visit to a waymark when I noticed that I also had a lot of information about this waymark that isn't already part of the main waymark entry.

 

I see that I'm allowed to edit a waymark to add this information, but I wonder if it would be better to just put the information (historical background) in my visit log. Or should I contact the person who first posted the waymark so that they can edit it, if they wish? As a newby, I don't want to step on any toes, and I know that different websites have different etiquette rules for their wikis (user-editable content). Any feedback would be appreciated!

 

An excellent question!!

 

My advice, and I know some others feel differently, is to tread very carefully when editing someone else's waymark. Put yourself in their position, and how would you feel if someone edited a waymark that YOU posted?

 

There is one other very active waymarker in my area, and when we discover information on the other's waymark, we send them an email and almost always that info. is added to the listing.

 

Something to consider is this: when you edit someone else's waymark, how does the reviewer verify the information you'd like him/her to change?

 

We have a bunch of VERY early waymarks in our area that have minimal words on the page. Even though we have information that can be added, our preference is to leave them as is, since it's not our waymark. We CAN add that information when logging a visit, though, and the waymark owner will get that info. and can then choose to add it to the waymark page. (something important to keep in mind).

 

I hope this helps. Thank you for asking such a great question!

[Country_Wife]

Thanks again for a great response! Actually, asking what I would want someone to do if our roles were reversed is probably a bad idea, because I'm very active on another website with a lot of wikis, and I always welcome constructive additions to the wikis that I have started or am a major contributor to.

 

But even over there not everyone feels the same way as me, so I will take your advice and contact the original contributor.

[+Max and 99]

Thanks again for a great response! Actually, asking what I would want someone to do if our roles were reversed is probably a bad idea, because I'm very active on another website with a lot of wikis, and I always welcome constructive additions to the wikis that I have started or am a major contributor to.

 

But even over there not everyone feels the same way as me, so I will take your advice and contact the original contributor.

 

I think it's similar on the WM site (some may welcome an edit, some would rather you contact them with new information). But the problem is that you can't tell ahead of time WHICH preference that waymarker has. In my opinion, it's best to contact them directly.

[Country_Wife]

.... In my opinion, it's best to contact them directly.

 

And your opinion is exactly the kind of info I was looking for :-)

 

It looks like there is no private messaging on Waymarking, just email addresses? Or have I missed something?

[+Team 57]

From the WM page, you can click on the name of the user next to 'Posted By:' and that will take you to their user page. On there, you can click on 'Send Message' to send them an e-mail.

[+Max and 99]

From the WM page, you can click on the name of the user next to 'Posted By:' and that will take you to their user page. On there, you can click on 'Send Message' to send them an e-mail.

 

She already knows that emailing is an option. She is asking if PM is available.

[Country_Wife]

She already knows that emailing is an option. She is asking if PM is available.

And I gather that it's not. I'll have to set up a special email address to keep from revealing my secret identity. ;-)

[GT.US]

Personally, I would prefer someone with relevant information to use the Edit waymark path to update my waymark. I have a bunch of waymarks, and sometimes I miss the emails that come in as visit logs. I would rather a waymark be corrected than a valid correction sometimes missed.

 

What would you think about coming up with a standard verbiage for us to put into our profiles to clue people wishing to edit a waymark in to our preference?

 

"Please feel free to use the Edit Waymark funtion to correct or enhance any of my waymarks"

 

"Please contact me directly to correct or enhance any of my waymarks"

[+Max and 99]

GT.US: an excellent idea to add a sentence or two to our profile to let others know our preference on edits.

 

I sill think it's best to contact the waymarker directly since the officers (who get the edit suggestion) might not have a clue about the subject matter or how to verify what is being changed. (I am referring to content edits). Maybe most of the content edit suggestions are well documented, and I'm just not aware of it. Could be!

Now if the waymarker doesn't respond, I wouldn't hesitate to send an edit suggestion to the officers.

 

But I think your suggestion is an excellent one!

 

Country-Wife: there IS a PM option, but mine is disabled and that might be why I cannot locate it. But I was using it until a few weeks ago. If I find it, I'll let you know where it's hiding.

[+BruceS]

She already knows that emailing is an option. She is asking if PM is available.

And I gather that it's not. I'll have to set up a special email address to keep from revealing my secret identity. ;-)

You don't need to do that. With the email through the site you have the choice of having your email sent with your email address or not. If you don't have it sent then the other person will have to send back to you through the site also.

 

You can send PM's through this forum however many people don't go to the forums so they would not see them if they don't have the option set to send them an email when they get a pm and some have them disabled totally.

[Country_Wife]

 

.. I'll have to set up a special email address to keep from revealing my secret identity. ;-)

You don't need to do that. With the email through the site you have the choice of having your email sent with your email address or not. If you don't have it sent then the other person will have to send back to you through the site also...

Thanks! That's reassuring, as it wasn't clear to a Waymarking noob like me exactly how that works.

 

(Yes, I'm just a little bit paranoid. But that doesn't mean they're not out to get me!)

Edited May 18, 2012 by Country_Wife

[+Max and 99]

Adding a comment to this discussion:

 

I was thinking about this today, and came to the conclusion that I really don't want someone else adding any content to my waymark (via edit function). I am responsible for the information on that waymark, and with so many of our waymarks showing up from Google searches, I'm the one that someone would contact with any discrepancy.

 

What would I say if someone emailed me and said there was an error in the waymark write-up: "Sorry, don't blame me. The category officer approved the edit and I have no idea who suggested it."

I would much rather be responsible for the content of my own waymark. If someone suggested content to add, I would confirm the information before adding it to the page. But in my opinion, it should be my decision, since I am responsible for the information on the page.

[+fi67]

Yes, I think the same. If it would be cleary visible who added or changed what, then it would be different.

 

Having said that, I want to add that this only appies for the descriptions. I have often edited waymark variables. Wrong country, wrong coordinates, new URLs and so on. I think this is appropriate and I don't mind changes of this type to waymarks of mine.

[+Max and 99]

Yep, I'm perfectly OK with edits other than CONTENT.