Hi All Wow these are some really salient points and I am glad we can discuss this. Part of my responsibility on the board is on the Membership Working Group. Keep all these coming because I am listening and noting it. >From above I get: - Perhaps not all members need to vote - Membership model Do we have a some levels of membership - one with voting rights and the other without. OR
On Tue, Dec 15, 2020 at 8:57 PM Phil Wyatt <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi John and other folks, > > > > It’s certainly an interesting point and one that I can understand. Many > people I work with, using open source technology, are not part of OSGEO > /FOSS4G/OSMF and would unlikely even attend a FOSS4G conference because > they are occasional users of the technology and use it as a means to some > other end (ie create maps to support grant applications for environmental > work, niche map requirements, interested in mapping their local area). They > are also usually volunteers in some other organisation. I am a conduit > between them and the technology. I am also retired, have time to engage and > despite being untrained in any spatial technologies, have an interest in > how things might develop. > > > > Much of my interest/use of the technology I can also do without OSGEO, but > I see OSGEO, the SIGS, conferences, user group meets, mapathons etc as a > way to expand both my knowledge and to pass that on to others that I am > supporting. > > > > I do much more on other communication channels (Discord, slack (local and > international)) and that gives me a much better idea of what is happening > in OSM, Humanitarian work, who is having issues with OS tech etc, what > crowdfunding is underway for projects and what mapping is happening in OSM. > > > > At the moment, from the email lists, I think much of the need is for those > folks who have the desire and expertise in setting up an organisation, > defining the goals, setting out the ground rules for the organisation. For > many, this is likely something they either have no expertise in, or little > interest and hence maybe the reason for low engagement. For me, I am just > digesting all the emails and seeing how things develop, voting when > required and speaking up occasionally. > > > > People will come to OSGEO and the SIGS when things are well defined (so > they can see if they fit in the organisation) and they have a need, or when > they feel they can contribute directly to the organisation, or maybe when > the communication channels are expanded to where they are residing. > > > > The one thing I have learnt in volunteering, and Open Communities, is that > nothing happens at any speed and engagement and retention can be very hard. > > > > Cheers - Phil > > > > *From:* Oceania <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *John > Bryant > *Sent:* Tuesday, 15 December 2020 8:12 PM > *To:* Oceania community <[email protected]> > *Subject:* Re: [OSGeo Oceania] Fwd: [Charter-members] 2020 OSGeo Board of > Directors election results > > > > Interesting point Graeme. It's not the first time I've heard someone say > that they get the feeling the organisation is about professionals - someone > recently told me they weren't sure if, as a student, they would be welcome. > This was shocking to me, I identify with the idea that it should be welcome > to anyone who's interested. > > > > My thought is that the org should serve the community, and that community > broadly includes all kinds of open geospatial enthusiasts, from armchair > mappers to students, professionals and amateurs, and beyond. > > > _______________________________________________ > Oceania mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/oceania >
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