[PATCH] Changeset source attribution should use "attribution-text" from layers instead of "name"

[gileri]

Hi,

I believe the purpose of the attribution-text layer attribute is to attribute the JOSM background (that's already done), and to attribute modifications when submitting changesets. But the name layer attribute is currently used in place of the dedicated attribution-text.

This patch make JOSM use attribution-text instead of name when attributing changesets from layers.

[stoecker]

No, attribution-text is the text displayed when the map is viewed. It has nothing to do with the attribution in the database or changeset comments. Such a map data field does not yet exist.

[gileri]

Hi Stoecker, thank you for the quick answer.

The description of the attribution-text [1] reflects the current usage of this field. That would have to be modified as well should my patch be accepted.

Can you explain why would name be more suited to attribute changesets than attribution-text ? If attribution-text is suitable to attribute the background, why wouldn't it also be to attribute the changeset modifications as well ?

[1] https://josm.openstreetmap.de/wiki/Maps#Generalproperties

[gileri]

I noticed after writing my previous comments that attribution-text is not mandatory. I added a fallback to use name when that is the case.

[stoecker]

We do not change the meaning of an established element of the XML format! If something new is required, then something new needs to be established.

[gileri]

What meaning is there to change ? attribution-text is explicitely meant to hold the text to attribute the data, where name is not.
I agree that name shouldn't have been used for attribution from the start, but that doesn't mean we can't fix that now.

If you scan the Maps XML file you'll see that a lot of (if not most) entries have an attribution-text, and their value is better suited for a source than their name.

[simon04]

Various attribution-texts are very long and do not seem appropriate to be used as changeset source:

<attribution-text mandatory="true">cadastre-dgi-fr source : Direction Générale des Impôts - Cadastre. Mise à jour : 2020</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Strategic Mapping Program (StratMap). San Antonio River Authority Imagery, 2016-08-01</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Map data: © Геоінформаційна система містобудівного кадастру Миколаївської міської ради</attribution-text>
<attribution-text>LVM GEO brīvais WMS serviss: Latvijas Ģeotelpiskās informācijas aģentūras 2016.-2018. gada ortofotokarte</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS). City of Georgetown Imagery, 2015-03-06</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Kartendaten: © OpenStreetMap-Mitwirkende, SRTM | Kartendarstellung: © OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA)</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">©2020 Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Slovenian Water Agency (evode.gov.si)</attribution-text>
<attribution-text>Latvijas Ģeotelpiskās informācijas aģentūras brīvais WMS serviss: 2003.-2005. gada Latvijas krāsainā ortofotokarte</attribution-text>
<attribution-text>Latvijas Ģeotelpiskās informācijas aģentūras brīvais WMS serviss: 1994.-1999. gada Latvijas melnbaltā ortofotokarte</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="false">Indiana Office of Information Technology, Indiana University Spatial Data Portal, UITS, Woolpert Inc.</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Copyright ©2019 Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo in prehrano (mkgp.gov.si). Some rights reserved.</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Datenquelle: dl-de/by-2-0: Landeshauptstadt München – Kommunalreferat – GeodatenService – www.geodatenservice-muenchen.de</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Sentinel-2 cloudless - https://s2maps.eu by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2017 &amp; 2018)</attribution-text>
<attribution-text mandatory="true">Tiles © valentim.org | Data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Copernicus, Instituto Hidrográfico, GEBCO, IGN-ES | Style © OpenTopoMap</attribution-text>
<attribution-text>LVM GEO brīvais WMS serviss: zemes reljefa modelis, izmantojot Latvijas Ģeotelpiskās informācijas aģentūras digitālā zemes virsmas modeļa pamatdatus</attribution-text>

[tuxayo]

Replying to stoecker:

No, attribution-text is the text displayed when the map is viewed. It has nothing to do with the attribution in the database or changeset comments.

Hi, isn't it the same attribution for most data layers? Do many make a difference between how to attribute for for map visualization and database/changeset comments?

[tuxayo]

Replying to simon04:

Various attribution-texts are very long and do not seem appropriate to be used as changeset source:

Indeed, so the name attribute should still be concatenated first to help other mappers. However the attribution-text is often legally required (mandatory="true") to use the data so having in the changeset source attribution makes sense.

[gileri]

Replying to simon04:

Various attribution-texts are very long and do not seem appropriate to be used as changeset source:

<attribution-text mandatory="true">cadastre-dgi-fr source : Direction Générale des Impôts - Cadastre. Mise à jour : 2020</attribution-text>

I only know for sure that the first one (french Cadastre) that one must fully credit cadastre-dgi-fr source : Direction Générale des Impôts - Cadastre. Mise à jour : 2020.
But I suspect that's the case for most imageries as they, as you cited, have the mandatory="true" attribute.

[stoecker]

Replying to tuxayo:

Replying to stoecker:

No, attribution-text is the text displayed when the map is viewed. It has nothing to do with the attribution in the database or changeset comments.

Hi, isn't it the same attribution for most data layers? Do many make a difference between how to attribute for for map visualization and database/changeset comments?

I already said it: The attribution text for display of layers is "attribution for display of layers". This type of attribution was designed in a time when nobody even thought about adding some references in the changeset comments. What is requested here is something completely different. Changing attribution text for this purpose is out of question. We can't and wont do that.

If you want to have such a new feature then describe what it should look like and where it is required and how it should be implemented. And especially why it is necessary and why the existing features aren't enough to fulfill the purpose, because it seems the attribution concept in changeset comments is used for some time now and seems to be sufficient, as nobody complained till now.

[simon04]

For the reference, the same proposal for the iD editor has been discussed twice and closed as wontfix:

• ​https://github.com/openstreetmap/iD/issues/6300 – Changeset tags: Add source tag based on editor layer index attribution · Issue 6300 · openstreetmap/iD
• ​https://github.com/openstreetmap/iD/issues/7876 – Include imagery attribution in imagery_used tag of changesets · Issue 7876 · openstreetmap/iD

[gileri]

The attribution text for display of layers is "attribution for display of layers". This type of attribution was designed in a time when nobody even thought about adding some references in the changeset comments.

Yes that is the initial usage (!= meaning) of this attribute.

What is requested here is something completely different.

The attribution-text name as a clear meaning, and scanning through some examples seems like most have correctly understood its meaning. Its meaning, as the name suggest, is to provide attribution when using the data (initially only for background imaging).
I don't see how that meaning become invalid when transposed to contributing data.

We can't

My patch beg to differ.

wont do that

More like it.

If you want to have such a new feature then describe what it should look like and where it is required and how it should be implemented

That's what I describe in the ticket.

why it is necessary

I'm sure everyone here is familiar with "open source" licensing, I don't think it is necessary to explain the attribution requirements of most licenses. There is even code in JOSM, likely to enforce attribution [1].

Currently the user-friendly UI name of the imagery layer was used for attribution, but that doesn't conform with most imagery licenses, as explicitely described in the aforementionned XML and required attribute.

it seems the attribution concept in changeset comments is used for some time now and seems to be sufficient, as nobody complained till now

A lot of OSM users don't properly attribute their contributions either, so I can see why "nobody complained". However I'm sure you see the point in respecting the will of organizations sharing their data freely with OSM, just like OSM stakeholders like to see their work correctly attributed.

For the reference, the same proposal for the iD editor has been discussed twice and closed as wontfix

Thank you simon04 for the additional context. To paraphrase the arguments for closure :

• Nobody has yet told us that we needed to put attribution messages into changeset tags before now

See above

• no imagery license request attribution like this

False, that's the basis of most open-source licenses.

• There is a character limit, so we can't put too much in this tag

Valid counter-point. With simon's examples that still leaves room for 3 different sources. I think that's sufficient, if not users may customize the tag themselves like now.

[1] https://josm.openstreetmap.de/changeset/15010/josm

[stoecker]

If you are willing to accept the facts open a new ticket. This one will no be closed as discussion is fruitless.

[gileri]

Based on your hostility from the start and your unwillingness to answer the points I raise I don't think I will take my chances to try and contribute to JOSM anytime soon. Too bad, I really like this editor.

[taylor.smock]

Ticket #21820 has been marked as a duplicate of this ticket.