Streetcomplete: Documentation: do I need an account to contribute?

[Mistress-Anna]

I've filled a few blanks on a map in the streetcomplete app, but it's not clear in the app whether I need an account on OSM to have my contributions effective or if it's immediate. Maybe this should be part of the FAQ?

[matkoniecz]

Just to explain: app will ask to login/register after less than 10 edits.

I will add it to the FAQ (assuming that no one will do it earlier).

[rugk]

after less than 10 edits.

Maybe also consider decreasing this limit? 3 or 5 should be enough. (given that this question appears)

Or, showing a text below/above the authorize/login button saying:

Note: You did not yet login to OpenStreetMap, your contributions will not be submitted.

Because I have the impression that the OP @Mistress-Anna did saw this button in the settings, but did not know whether logging in is needed or not. Is that correct, @Mistress-Anna?

[matkoniecz]

In my user test people were still learning basics of how to use app on such early edits.

[westnordost]

Well, if it needs a FAQ, we are doing something wrong. @matkoniecz , the reason why we changed this is that the new user should not be bothered about logging in so early, especially since the register workflow on the website is so drawn out.

The way the app bothers the user about finally logging in is to ask at every attempt to upload, that is, on default (auto-sync on), after each single question answered.

Let's change:

• Ask the user to login after 3 or 5 answers, as @rugk suggested
• For auto-sync on, only ask the user to login once after a question is answered. If the user selects "Later", don't ask again until next application start. Currently, I think there is a checkbox the user needs to check "Don't ask again for this session" or something. This checkbox will be removed because this will be the new standard behavior.

[rugk]

Don't know whether the second point would be very good, but one could also do it very simply:

• ask this question after 1st question answered, ignore for 2-4 (or 2-9), and start again at 5 (10) until infinity

This way, users won't forget it (if they only start it once), but are not too often nagged after the saw the message once.

[Mistress-Anna]

Because I have the impression that the OP @Mistress-Anna did saw this button in the settings, but did not know whether logging in is needed or not. Is that correct, @Mistress-Anna?

Yes! I thought everything I did was sent. For some reason, I opened the preferences, and saw this option, which left me wondering.

[matkoniecz]

To document my assumptions:

There are many different users that may use StreetComplete

• new to both SC and OSM - they will not be expecting login/registration.
  Main benefit of delayed login is that they will be less overwhelmed by initial contact and less likely to escape. Main drawbacks are that that may fail betrayed by late login call and that initial contributions may be lost.

Additional testing may be useful but I think that for this group of users current SC behavior is ok and earlier showing registration form may discourage them (but still, as long as it is not shown on first or second solved quest it should be ok).

• new to SC - they are far more likely to be surprised by editing without login. Some, especially ones just exploring SC without editing (or making just one or two test edits) are most likely to be surprised by ability to apparently edit without login or by edits not appearing in the database. I would expect that this group is also likely to actually read FAQ or read more carefully settings menu.

[westnordost]

My experience is that users are incredibly good in clicking away dialogs ("later") that prompt them to do something (me included): Prompt to rate an app on Google Play, reading license agreements, offers to download an app instead of using the mobile website, cookie banners, GDPR banners, ...

I think users won't have a problem of clicking away the authorization prompt if they don't feel like registering now (or start registering and find out that they do not want to do it right now after all). Simply important is to tell the user that none of his answers will be published as long as he doesn't login and this is the information the dialog transports.

Edit: And thus, the dialog should be shown once before the user starts to wonder if he has to login at all.

[rugk]

Okay, so if we do not want a dialog the user can click away easily, maybe better use a toast message (only after solving the 1st quest, or after 1-10 quests, and afterwards then nag the user with prompts, as it is done currently)?
Toasts are also less invasive.

Or this new Material Design alternative to toast messages, I don't know what it is called, these big banners at the bottom that shift the whole app up. Ah, it's called Snackbar. (comparsion, comparsion 2)