OpenStreetMap
So, I have been working here for about a month. As the wiki page says, OSM has a lot that can be done in Doha, and Qatar in general (if you really think there is much to do outside of Doha in Qatar, anyways). I have put some stuff up the talk page for WikiProject Qatar, but I never heard back.
osm.wiki/Talk:WikiProject_Qatar
I only see one user registered in Qatar, and it seems like he is one of the expat/visitors here like I am. Not even sure if he is still around. I would like to build consensus on things here (for starters, should we be mapping with primary name as Arabic or English), but I am not sure what resources exist for me to reach out to users other than individually. That being said, it appears the OSM community is small here at best, at worst fractured and non-existent. Hopefully, I will make some headway soon once my schedule opens up.
Discussion
Comment from lyx on 16 October 2010 at 09:40
I guess using Arabic language in the name tag might help a bit with getting locals interested in joining the project. Regardless of what language is used for the name tag, please always add name:en with the English name AND name:ar with the Arabic name, so maps can be rendered in both languages.
If you like, you are very welcome to help with the wiki pages in Arabic; there is a lot to be done here, e.g. the Map Features are only partially translated so far.
Comment from amm on 16 October 2010 at 10:22
As lyx sais, generally the name tag is in the local language, so for Qatar presumably in Arabic. Adding the name:en tags in addition would be great though as it allows for map rendering in various languages like the wikimedia example http://toolserver.org/~osm/locale/ that allows you to switch between the different languages.
Reaching out to other members of the community can sometimes be a bit difficult if there is no mailinglist or forum yet, although you can always ask to create a new one.
Otherwise, (depending on your motivation and time... ;-)) you might be able to try and recruit new mappers in the area. For example it is sometimes possible to write a small article about OSM in a local newspaper, or specialist magazine that might have an interest in OSM, such as a cycling magazine, a tech blog or the expat newsletter.
Comment from aemai9 on 16 October 2010 at 13:48
@lyx You make an excellent point regarding documentation. I would love to get started on that. My specialization in uni was Arabic, and I also tried to get involved in open source software translation for a while. I would love to work on that and get to know the Arabic-speaking user base.
@amm You would think, but it is very inconsistent. Since you seem to be in the know, I assume you mean the name: tag is the one that will be rendered, and name:en and name:ar are for the locale toolserver bits and locale-specific tools that understand the OSM backend format? It appears that none of my names rendered yet, which could be a good thing, seeing as I have by default only played with name:en and name:ar. Thanks for the input!
Comment from lyx on 27 October 2010 at 21:24
Regarding documentation, there is a lot that could be done. A good starting point would be osm.wiki/Ar:Map_Features
My knowledge of Arabic is not good enough to work on the introductory text on the start of that page, so if you have time to spare, please help. And if you have only a little time, the rest of the map features can be translated in tiny bits at a time (and only a few of them have been done already). If you need help on the technical aspects of the wiki templates and translation mechanisms, please ask.