Introduction
Basics
Thank you for your interest in improving the roads in South Africa.
Before you blindly start editing, make sure you look at the Tips for successful editing.
To get started, make sure you are up to speed with the basics of how to use the WME. Editing is a time consuming activity, so it could be handy to use the shortcut keys (by pressing "?" while using WME shows a panel thereof).
Copyrighted Material
Consulting a map book or looking up the name of the road should be ok, but do not trace roads from Google maps or Google aerial images. In areas which have been gated off, Google is not always accurate anyway. Please ensure you read the section on external sources of data as using these may infringe copyrights. It is preferable to use Geographic Information System (GIS) information supplied by local authorities, should this be available.
The Surveyor General is an official source of data. Their GIS data is available but is not all that user friendly. Topographical GIS datasets can also be obtained from the National Mapping Agency (Chief Directorate: National Geospatial Information).
Check out the Forums
You should visit the Waze Forums, you do not have to post a single thing, but you will be up to date with the latest happenings. Here are a few more reasons why it's great to be familiar with the forum:
- For any general discussions,
- Discussion of problems you encounter,
- General chit-chat with other Wazers, or
- Unlock Requests (during editing).
South Africa is the dedicated sub-forum for South African Wazers. Forum participation is one of the areas where South African editors (and users) should become more active in. Following some of the more interesting topics or just the general chit-chats could vastly expand your knowledge.
Post a topic under the relevant section. Look for the NEWTOPIC* button located under the list of moderators. Please remember to do a keyword search first (located next to "NEWTOPIC*") to see if your problem may have been discussed or may possibly have been resolved before. Do NOT start a new thread without checking first. Announcements are listed on every forum page. If the problem relates to yours, read the announcement first before attempting to post.
The Forum community consists of editors and users, such as yourself - they voluntarily assist other editors and users in their free time. The "Waze Champions" (highest raking editors, level 6) consists of users all over the world that have a wealth of experience with Waze and editing techniques.
As with any other form of Social Media, civilized behaviour, basic courtesy and netiquette should be observed.