# Transition FAQ :: LoCo channel :arrow_lower_left:OpenStreetMap@Pilipinas

The OSM-PH communities maintain several [local community channels](https://osm.org/wiki/Ph) on the Internet, offering peer-to-peer support for fellow volunteers.

The un-official Telegram channel t.me/osmph is considered our most interactive, where active exchanges/discussions on various topics of interest to the OSM-PH community happen. Its nature as a public channel also means it is beset by the platform's problem of spam accounts and spam bots.

Thus, the proposal to move discussions to a private channel with less restrictions for vetted users, and maintain t.me/osmph as a "lobby" for scrutinizing the intent of channel joiners.

"OpenStreetMap@Pilipinas" is the new, private channel for vetted users who are admitted through the lobby, t.me/osmph.

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## FAQ
### What is the Telegram channel for?
The "OpenStreetMap@Pilipinas" is a "private" chat channel about OpenStreetMap in the Philippines. It is run by the OSM-PH community, moderated by volunteers, and is mainly about discussing OpenStreetMap (and geodata) topics, specifically in the Philippine context. The main languages are Filipino and English.

It is "private" in the sense that it's not publicly listed in Telegram, unlike the publicly-listed t.me/osmph channel. Everyone with any interest in OSM are welcome to join.

If you feel Telegram is not robust enough for your security/privacy needs, there's a [bridged \[matrix\] channel to OpenStreetMap@Pilipinas](https://matrix.to/#/#openstreetmap@pilipinas:tchncs.de).

### Do I need an OpenStreetMap account to join the channel?
Generally, no. [OpenStreetMap](https://openstreetmap.org) is no longer just an open mapping platform for volunteered geographic information, but is considered an ecosystem of tools, apps, area of research and diverse contributors (mappers, developers, advocates, end-users, and other map-py folks.)

We strive for a channel that is also genial space for everyone interested in OpenStreetMap, and (Free/Libre) geodata in the Philippines.

### Why are we transitioning to a private channel?

We want a safe space for everyone. Spam bots and direct, unsolicited messaging is becoming too tedious for the moderation team of public channels.

It is not always possible to distinguish legitimate accounts who are joining the channel from spam/bot accounts, solely on the account's name or profile photos.

To minimize abuse, the mod team has resorted to disabling features that most users come to expect as standard for IM platforms.

Some accounts/bots, lurk in channels to harvest usernames, which are then targetted for spam or unsolicited DMs.

While, passive participation (i.e. "lurking behavior") in the channel is considered okay, it's definitely undesirable if the intention is to harvest Telegram aliases.

To mitigate these, and restore other features for everyone else, we are transforming the t.me/osmph as a public lobby, where any user can join, but must demonstrate their interest in OSM before being admitted to the private channel.

Eventually, only admins will remain as channel "bouncers". Once a user is invited to the private channel, they are no longer expected to interact in the lobby.

### What is the vetting process?

Essentially, we need to know that you have the community's (best) interest at heart.

The process will help us determine the intent and OpenStreeMap interest of any user joining the lobby.

### What if I don't get past the vetting process?
Your user account is disinvited from the lobby, and you can ask to join again after some time.

### If I leave the OpenStreetMap@Pilipinas channel, how do I rejoin if I've been kicked out of the lobby?
The banlist is purged regularly. In general, there are no permanent bans unless the account is proven to be associated with spam, abuse, or reported for unsolicited messaging.

### What will happen to the messages in old LoCo channel?
An archive will made, and anyone can do the same if anybody is interested in that, but there's no way to import them to the new channel.

After the transition is complete, messages in the lobby will be set to auto-delete, to avoid spurious accounts from learning more about the vetting process.

### How do I join the OpenStreetMap@Pilipinas channel?
Signify your intent thru this [poll](https://t.me/OSMph/23690), and somebody from the moderation team will help you out.

### When will the transition start?
A formal announcement will made on the 27th, and last throughout September, or until it's completed.

The lobby will be locked-down, and only **plain** messages may be posted.

Those who apply for early access will be prioritized during the transition, followed by users that are known to the moderators, and then anyone else who has contributed/posted something in the last 18 months.

The rest will be disinvited from the channel, and are welcome to re-join after re-introducing themselves to the community.

:::info
There is no assurance of confidentiality of messages you share with the moderation team (e.g. your introduction), and at a moderator's prerogrative, may be re-shared to the OpenStreetMap@Pilipinas channel, for the community's reference.
:::