Community edits

[NZL50505]

What do people think about community edits on Navionics charts? Do you have them switched on / participate in adding to them / switch them off / ignore them?

[andrewtas]

We used them extensively on charters in Croatia and Turkey finding tremendous information on anchorages, marinas and services that was up to date. (A date filter would be handy to get rid of old information). We tried using that same system back here in Tasmania, Australia - but found very few people have entered information and hence wasn’t worth the effort. Our maritime authority recommend Deckee which has a similar community feature, but again few people use it.

[NZL50505]

Thanks. I’m in two minds. We have a great example of community edits in action locally here in Auckland when a user noticed a previously uncharted rock on approach into a popular anchorage. He made an update which was followed by a couple more. The result is that with CEs switched on you see a cluster of 3 different rocks and it’s hard to know whether it really is 3 rocks or just one being plotted multiple times. Later the rock was correctly charted and added to the official chart survey data so if you switch off CEs you now see just the single (correct) rock. But I only know all this because it’s a local case to me. If I was new to an area I don’t know whether CEs would be helpful or confusing depending when in the lifecycle you encounter them.

I’ll try to attach some images to show the point…

[NZL50505]

Here it is with CEs switched off. Remember that until recently there was no rock showing here at all.

[NZL50505]

And this is with CEs switched on.

[andrewtas]

Ah. Can see how this causes a problem (although am amused that it has happened in Administrators Bay - seems appropriate!)

A filter system for community edits would be useful. Stick to official charts for nav hazards and community edits for anchoring, services and local knowledge would of be my preference. Perhaps a suggestion to the developers?