[Osmf-talk] Chairman

[Henk Hoff]

2009/8/3 Frederik Ramm <frederik at remote.org>:
> Hi,
>
> Richard Fairhurst wrote:
>> I believe strongly that everything else should still come from the
>> community, not from OSMF and its board. OSMF shouldn't be setting
>> mapping priorities, or saying what should appear on openstreetmap.org,
>> for example. Rather, OSMF should work to help the community take these
>> decisions for itself.
>
> +1

The OSMF should support the community in being a community. The wiki,
forum, mailinglist, IRC (and what else have) should not be controlled
/ scrutinized by the OSMF and/or its board. These are tools for the
community "to make things happen".

However, there is also a very (!) loosly grouped community of
non-OSM-communitarians. To make them become a part of our great OSM
community (as SotM proved once more ;-) ), it wouldn't hurt to have a
place specially dedicated for them. To give them the information they
need so the threshold to start doing things with OSM is low.
I think the recently acquired osm.org could be a very good starting
point for this. Looking at this as a marketing instrument, I think
this is a tool the OSMF can initiate, enabling the community to grow.

Yes, I know, the OSMF is very good in making a state of the art
website. Just look at osmfoundation.org ....   (there is definitely
some work to do here too)

> That's why I found it strange when recently somebody seemed to suggest
> that the role of the members is to elect the board and keep away from
> the decision-making process at all other times.
>

That's indeed not to way it should work.

A rewrite of the articles of association should make some things more clear.


> Bye
> Frederik
>

.... I'll be right back with a response to the chairmanship ....

Cheers,
Henk