[Osmf-talk] EVERYONE: PLEASE VOTE

[Nick Black]

Grant,

I think that the OSM-F membership list should be available for anyone  
to request for their own personal use, in line with the UK Companies  
Act.

My understanding and the understanding of the Board is that because  
the OSM-F is not Data Protection Act registered, we are tightly  
constrained by what we can do with a membership list.  Until last  
night I did not have access to the list.  We can only use it for  
purposes of membership - sending membership reminders is about the  
extent of the actions we can take.  I personally think this is sub  
optimal, which is why I'm working with the other OSM-F Board members  
to get clarification on the DPA and other regulations.

I think the members should have access to the membership list and the  
information that can be inferred from it, but this has to be done  
through the proper channels.

On 20 Aug 2009, at 10:28, Grant Slater wrote:

> 2009/8/20 Nick Black <nick at blacksworld.net>:
>> The unauthorized use of Foundation membership details to pursue a  
>> personal
>> agenda - membership details that I have personally been arguing  
>> long and
>> hard within the Foundation and the Board should be released  
>> publicly - is a
>> new low.
>
> Please Nick this is hardly unauthorised. Frederik is an administrator
> of the OSMF talk list and he has the best interests of a health OSMF
> at heart. He has not released any personal information. As you have
> point out the membership list is meant to be a matter of public record
> already but it is not yet due to failings of the OSMF board.
>
> How else do you believe this matter would have been raised with the
> members? Or do you believe that CloudMade's significant stake in OSMF
> membership is not a cause for concern?


No, I don't think it is cause for concern.  Neither do many of the  
other people who have replied to this thread.  I'll only briefly  
repeat myself: CloudMade staff are free to vote as they choose, just  
as everyone else in the community is.

>
> / Grant

--
Nick Black
twitter.com/nick_b
nick at blacksworld.net