Re: [HOT] Help HOT give 10 communities the resources to map!

[Mikel Maron]

Hey all, please dampen down the conspiracy theories, personal bitterness and 
politics. There are ways to ask questions with out being damning, and to share 
perspectives without lowering ourselves to populist rhetoric and smearing. 
Let’s try better. The etiquette page on the wiki is a good read to get our 
conversations on the right footing 
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Etiquette. Thanks -Mikel * Mikel Maron * 
+14152835207 @mikel s:mikelmaron 

On Thursday, December 1, 2016 8:39 PM, john whelan  
wrote:
 
 

 One of the problems with giving aid is only about a tenth of the money given 
is used in the way one would hope.Probably the most pressing problem in Africa 
at the moment is corruption and in many ways aid doesn't help this particular 
problem.Mapping in OSM is way to assist without fear that the funds will be 
diverted.Money given by government agencies stands a little more chance that 
the aid will get through although there is always the temptation to say it must 
be shipped on ships from the donor country or must be spent on goods from the 
donor country.Given that HOT Inc exists in the US and given the USA culture, 
who else could elect Donald, I think we can expect them to present themselves 
in this manner.Whilst I would hope that requirements and benefits can be 
presented I'm not sure that this is in the US tradition.  Given the attention 
span of the target audience again is it worth the effort to HOT Inc?  Should 
the message have been restricted to those with a US address?If I'm cynical then 
the task manager has been very effective.  The training group has identified 
problem areas and come up with solutions. However HOT is not just HOT Inc there 
are many people involved in creating maps and the tools used.  Germany is home 
to many of them.   The OSM wiki contains much wisdom, the page I'm thinking of 
was put together by a Canadian, well a Québécois which is practically the 
same.I'd like to see two slots on the most urgent slots in tasks reserved for 
projects that are run by OSM groups in affected areas to give some sort of 
recognition to the work they are doing.  If nothing else they're learning 
project management skills that they can apply elsewhere.In sum HOT Inc probably 
deserves some support but on transparency I think it could do better.Cheerio 
John
On 1 Dec 2016 7:16 pm, "Severin Menard"  wrote:

 Let usfigure out what is happening here:HOT USInc starts a micro-grant program 
supposedly to support 10 local OSMcommunities worldwide by raising money. Some 
of them being alreadyHOT-Sponsored through grants, others being totally 
autonomous fromHOT US Inc. Looks great. Micro-grants are not HOT US Inc 
specialityas it has been refusing from 2013 to deal with projects under 
10,000USD grants, what may explain why it is not clear at all how the moneyfrom 
these smaller grants will be used: who decides how to split, ifthe 10 
communities will all receive a tenth of it or if it is relatedto their 
requirements (if only HOT US Inc took the time to ask them),if the communities 
will receive all the money in cash or if HOT USInc will proceed to purchases, 
etc. OK, it is totallyunclear/unexplained, but damn let us donate, this a good 
cause!But ifyou read the explanation text you can read this: “When donating,you 
have the choice of where your funds go: to micro-grants or wherethey're needed 
most to support HOT's critical work and technology”.What? The first time this 1 
million dollar organization (according tohttps://hotosm.org/sites/ 
default/files/HOT_2015_Annual_ Report.pdf)raises money specifically for far 
less funded local OSM communities,it really needs to suggest to take money from 
them? I don’tknow if HOT US Inc needs fund-raising again to fix a new 
unexpected,mismanaged 100,000+ USD financial hole like last year 
withoutexplaining it to the donors (or even its voting members) forgettingthat 
the O of HOT is for Open, but this is certainly not the rightway to do it 
here.Evenbetter, all the people participating in the video have 
beenautomatically called “HOT community leaders”. Ladies and gents,you belong 
to the HOT US Inc brand now, just because you showed up inthe video. From my 
long experience with HOT US Inc, I can tell youthat this wording will be next 
used in every, every grant HOT US Incwill try to get in the future, emphasizing 
this community support inits storytelling. In short, for the 1 USD you may get 
from HOT US Incthrough this micro-grants program, aside from the 1 USD it 
willdirectly keep, HOT US Inc will multiply this in the future for itsvery own 
use. Do notbe surprised, this is not the first time HOT US Inc takes over the 
workfrom others. For the last two years or so, everyone using the HOT US 
IncTasking Manager instance becomes instantaneously a “HOT volunteer”,even if 
she or he does not even know what HOT is, and included in HOTUS Inc statistics. 
People contributing in OSM 

Re: [HOT] Help HOT give 10 communities the resources to map!

[john whelan]

One of the problems with giving aid is only about a tenth of the money
given is used in the way one would hope.

Probably the most pressing problem in Africa at the moment is corruption
and in many ways aid doesn't help this particular problem.

Mapping in OSM is way to assist without fear that the funds will be
diverted.

Money given by government agencies stands a little more chance that the aid
will get through although there is always the temptation to say it must be
shipped on ships from the donor country or must be spent on goods from the
donor country.

Given that HOT Inc exists in the US and given the USA culture, who else
could elect Donald, I think we can expect them to present themselves in
this manner.

Whilst I would hope that requirements and benefits can be presented I'm not
sure that this is in the US tradition.  Given the attention span of the
target audience again is it worth the effort to HOT Inc?  Should the
message have been restricted to those with a US address?

If I'm cynical then the task manager has been very effective.  The training
group has identified problem areas and come up with solutions. However HOT
is not just HOT Inc there are many people involved in creating maps and the
tools used.  Germany is home to many of them.   The OSM wiki contains much
wisdom, the page I'm thinking of was put together by a Canadian, well a
Québécois which is practically the same.

I'd like to see two slots on the most urgent slots in tasks reserved for
projects that are run by OSM groups in affected areas to give some sort of
recognition to the work they are doing.  If nothing else they're learning
project management skills that they can apply elsewhere.

In sum HOT Inc probably deserves some support but on transparency I think
it could do better.

Cheerio John

On 1 Dec 2016 7:16 pm, "Severin Menard"  wrote:

> Let us figure out what is happening here:
>
> HOT US Inc starts a micro-grant program supposedly to support 10 local OSM
> communities worldwide by raising money. Some of them being already
> HOT-Sponsored through grants, others being totally autonomous from HOT US
> Inc. Looks great. Micro-grants are not HOT US Inc speciality as it has been
> refusing from 2013 to deal with projects under 10,000 USD grants, what may
> explain why it is not clear at all how the money from these smaller grants
> will be used: who decides how to split, if the 10 communities will all
> receive a tenth of it or if it is related to their requirements (if only
> HOT US Inc took the time to ask them), if the communities will receive all
> the money in cash or if HOT US Inc will proceed to purchases, etc. OK, it
> is totally unclear/unexplained, but damn let us donate, this a good cause!
>
> But if you read the explanation text you can read this: “*When donating,
> you have the choice of where your funds go: to micro-grants or where
> they're needed most to support HOT's critical work and technology*”.
> What? The first time this 1 million dollar organization (according to
> https://hotosm.org/sites/default/files/HOT_2015_Annual_Report.pdf) raises
> money specifically for far less funded local OSM communities, it really
> needs to suggest to take money from them?
>
> I don’t know if HOT US Inc needs fund-raising again to fix a new
> unexpected, mismanaged 100,000+ USD financial hole like last year without
> explaining it to the donors (or even its voting members) forgetting that
> the O of HOT is for Open, but this is certainly not the right way to do it
> here.
>
> Even better, all the people participating in the video have been
> automatically called “HOT community leaders”. Ladies and gents, you belong
> to the HOT US Inc brand now, just because you showed up in the video. From
> my long experience with HOT US Inc, I can tell you that this wording will
> be next used in every, every grant HOT US Inc will try to get in the
> future, emphasizing this community support in its storytelling. In short,
> for the 1 USD you may get from HOT US Inc through this micro-grants
> program, aside from the 1 USD it will directly keep, HOT US Inc will
> multiply this in the future for its very own use.
>
> Do not be surprised, this is not the first time HOT US Inc takes over the
> work from others. For the last two years or so, everyone using the HOT US
> Inc Tasking Manager instance becomes instantaneously a “HOT volunteer”,
> even if she or he does not even know what HOT is, and included in HOT US
> Inc statistics. People contributing in OSM with the iD editor are not
> “MapBox volunteers”, as long as I know. Nor book authors using Microsoft
> Word to draft their new work are “MS writers”. A basic OpenStreetMap rule
> that the HOT US Inc Board should read and think about during one of their
> (non public - always) meetings: respect attribution.
>
> OSM local communities, HOT US Inc needs you to get money from you. But you
> do not need HOT US Inc to get money to grow your activities. Rather than

Re: [HOT] Help HOT give 10 communities the resources to map!

[Severin Menard]

Let us figure out what is happening here:

HOT US Inc starts a micro-grant program supposedly to support 10 local OSM
communities worldwide by raising money. Some of them being already
HOT-Sponsored through grants, others being totally autonomous from HOT US
Inc. Looks great. Micro-grants are not HOT US Inc speciality as it has been
refusing from 2013 to deal with projects under 10,000 USD grants, what may
explain why it is not clear at all how the money from these smaller grants
will be used: who decides how to split, if the 10 communities will all
receive a tenth of it or if it is related to their requirements (if only
HOT US Inc took the time to ask them), if the communities will receive all
the money in cash or if HOT US Inc will proceed to purchases, etc. OK, it
is totally unclear/unexplained, but damn let us donate, this a good cause!

But if you read the explanation text you can read this: “*When donating,
you have the choice of where your funds go: to micro-grants or where
they're needed most to support HOT's critical work and technology*”. What?
The first time this 1 million dollar organization (according to
https://hotosm.org/sites/default/files/HOT_2015_Annual_Report.pdf) raises
money specifically for far less funded local OSM communities, it really
needs to suggest to take money from them?

I don’t know if HOT US Inc needs fund-raising again to fix a new
unexpected, mismanaged 100,000+ USD financial hole like last year without
explaining it to the donors (or even its voting members) forgetting that
the O of HOT is for Open, but this is certainly not the right way to do it
here.

Even better, all the people participating in the video have been
automatically called “HOT community leaders”. Ladies and gents, you belong
to the HOT US Inc brand now, just because you showed up in the video. From
my long experience with HOT US Inc, I can tell you that this wording will
be next used in every, every grant HOT US Inc will try to get in the
future, emphasizing this community support in its storytelling. In short,
for the 1 USD you may get from HOT US Inc through this micro-grants
program, aside from the 1 USD it will directly keep, HOT US Inc will
multiply this in the future for its very own use.

Do not be surprised, this is not the first time HOT US Inc takes over the
work from others. For the last two years or so, everyone using the HOT US
Inc Tasking Manager instance becomes instantaneously a “HOT volunteer”,
even if she or he does not even know what HOT is, and included in HOT US
Inc statistics. People contributing in OSM with the iD editor are not
“MapBox volunteers”, as long as I know. Nor book authors using Microsoft
Word to draft their new work are “MS writers”. A basic OpenStreetMap rule
that the HOT US Inc Board should read and think about during one of their
(non public - always) meetings: respect attribution.

OSM local communities, HOT US Inc needs you to get money from you. But you
do not need HOT US Inc to get money to grow your activities. Rather than
having ten seconds in this video, build your own fund-raising, take time to
present your community, its history, achievements and goals and describe
precisely what you need and want to get. You will likely get more funds and
nobody will make financial profit from you.


Sincerely,

Severin

On Mon, Nov 28, 2016 at 9:20 PM, Tyler Radford 
wrote:

> Dear HOT community,
>
> Today, on behalf of the HOT Fundraising Working Group, I'm excited to
> announce our 2016  campaign #mapthedifference.
>
> This year's campaign is about coming together to raise funds for a
> micro-grants initiative. Micro-grants will support small but highly
> impactful projects carried out by HOT/OSM community leaders. More details
> on the application and selection process will be announced in early 2017,
> but until then, please check out the video below and help us
> #mapthedifference!
>
> Tyler
>
>
>
> Help HOT provide 10 communities with equipment and funding to map
> Many of the world's most vulnerable places do not exist on any map. Meet
> 12 leaders who are working to change that by putting their communities on
> the global map for the first time.
>
> You can show your support by starting your own Fundraising Page using the
> button below or making a donation today.
>
>
> *We have 33 days to raise $30,000 in support of this life-changing work in
> 10 communities.*
>
> SUPPORT THEIR AMBITIONS NOW
> 
>
> 
>
> 
> Share
> 
>
> 
> Tweet
>