- Sorry if you receive this email twice, internet connection from Togo is uncertain tonight -
Hi Dave, Your question is not adressed to me but I'd like to give my opinion here. My name is Augustin Doury, I've been active in OpenStreetMap since end 2012 as a daily commitment to sustain the growth of OSM communities in West Africa, especially on the field in Senegal where I've been a HOT volunteer for 5 months and last year as a Projet Espace OpenStreetMap Francophone volunteer in Burkina Faso for 1 year, plus missions in Ivory Coast (volunteer) and Togo (paid). I'm a HOT US Inc member since 2013. Because I've seen what HOT became this last 3 years, I don't want to see OSM project suffering the same problems as the HOT project. As others, I think that HOT is a project about using OSM in humanitarian and development fields, and as any open/free project, everybody should be able to choose his/her approach within the HOT concept but what occurs now is that choices are more and more restricted, less choices for individuals and collectives. Because HOT US Inc, with its specific vision, has almost monopolized the HOT project in terms of communication&tools (the logo, the communication channels, the lists, the story/reputation, the Tasking Manager, the HOT Exports ...), I fear that a position at the OSMF board reinforce its influence. During the two pasts HOT US Inc elections, I tried as others to give this point of view and advocate for the definition of a HOT Project with a HOT Charter and HOT Commons that any individual or organization could concur with and even officially join and/or fund, as explained by Severin Menard on his diary [1]. It's for us, in our diversity, the good way to maintain diversity in the HOT Project, respecting minorities. I've seen how the HOT US board rejected this approach, saying that there is not HOT US Inc, there is just HOT and HOT US Inc is HOT and should not be called « US Inc » because it creates dividness within the HOT community. I've seen the level of violence some HOT US Inc people were able to trigger to close the debate without respect for those who work hard everyday, especially from the field, for making what the HOT project is now. The concept of attribution is essential in the OSM project and I feel like HOT US Inc, by its communication hegemony, benefits from the work of numerous volunteers from South and North who give their time for the HOT/OSM project, not for a NGO (which is nowadays in an active fundraising campain). I would not like to see this logic implements in OSMF. And simply I do not understand the aim of the candidates from HOT US Inc to get more seats at the OSMF board when Kate Chapman is already a board member. In my opinion, HOT US Inc should not get more than one seat to let the 6 other seats to people who represent other aspects from the OSM ecoystem. Have a good night and vote, Augustin [1] http://www.openstreetmap.org/user/sev_hotosm/diary/21846 On 25/11/2015 12:10, Dave F. wrote: > How do you perceive these "dangers" will manifest themselves? > > Dave F. > > On 24/11/2015 23:01, nicolas chavent wrote: >> Hi all, >> >> >> Apologies for crosspostings, resending to talk an email sent to >> osmf-talk about the HOT US Inc presence at the Board of the OSMF. >> >> Best, >> Nicolas >> >> >> Dear OSMF voting members and mappers, >> >> This short note (also published in my diary [1]) to draw your >> attention on the danger for OSMF (and the OSM project) in the case the >> United States NGO "Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team US Inc" (aka HOT US >> Inc) got a majority at the OSMF Board after this 2015 election. >> >> Mikel Maron, Joseph Reeves and Yantisa Akhadi, all members of the NGO >> HOT US Inc, are running for the OSMF Board [2]; Kate Chapman, the >> former ED of HOT US Inc serves already as Board Officer in OSMF. >> >> Shall Mikel Maron, Joseph Reeves and Yantisa Akhadi be elected, HOT US >> Inc will get a majority at the Board of the Foundation. >> This will provide a single organization of the OSM ecosystem (HOT US >> Inc) with an unprecedented and excessive power of influence over the >> Foundation. >> >> This running of three candidates from the same organization is >> puzzling and troublesome when one considers that HOT US Inc (and >> therefore its perspective around OpenStreetMap) is already represented >> at the OSMF Board since Sept 2013. Why extending its presence and >> influence and consequently diminishing the OSM diversity represented >> at the OSMF Board? >> >> A greater HOT US Inc presence at the OSMF Board would be a matter of >> concern in terms of : >> - balance of powers >> - diversity of visions, thoughts and practices around OSM >> - board dynamics: a collective of HOT US Inc Boardees would interact >> with single individuals. >> This is a bad practice which is not followed by any Organizations; >> this is specifically true for representative bodies (organization >> representing organizations) such as OSMF >> >> Here are some elements that OSMF voting members shall have in ming >> prior casting their ballot 28-Nov onwards bearing in minds that HOT US >> Inc and this perspective about OSM is already represented at the OSMF >> Board through Kate Chapman. >> >> The HOT US Inc perspective informs, like other perspectives, the work >> of the Foundation and has its effect on the OSM project, there is no >> need to take risks in providing this group with more room in the >> Foundation which is hot enough in these times of winter. >> >> Best, >> Nicolas >> >> [1]: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Nicolas Chavent/diary/36750 >> [2]: >> https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Foundation/AGM15/Election_to_Board >> >> >> >> > > > --- > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > https://www.avast.com/antivirus > > > _______________________________________________ > talk mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk _______________________________________________ talk mailing list [email protected] https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/talk
