[Osmf-talk] OPENSTREETMAP FOUNDATION - NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

[Iván Sánchez Ortega]

El día Thursday 30 July 2009 15:39:05, Nick Black dijo:
> For the first point, representing the wishes of the community, I
> favour an approach that strengthens the Foundation by expanding its
> user base. By the end of 2010 we should be counting foundation members
> in the 10,000s.

IIRC, OSM's userbase growth is exponential. Foundation membership growth is 
*not*.

> These members spread all around the world, some affiliated to OSM-F Local 
> Chapters will provide a strong base to elect the OSM-F board.

Not if we still don't know how closely or loosely tied will the chapters be 
attached to the OSMF.

> [...] The counter measures proposed here - limiting the number of
> representatives from one company on the Board and other similar
> measures - just wouldn't work.

Just for the record, I support RWeait's proposal (maybe 1 member per company 
is excessive, so I'd say 2 or 3).

I don't think that the problem is about one commercial company gaining virtual 
control of the OSMF (they'd be risking a virtual Bastille), but about 
**unconsciously** leveraging OSM towards one market (smartphone users, fleet 
management, paleo-geo, mapping agencies' tools). And I do NOT want to see 
this beautiful community turn into an oligarchy, even in the long term.



And don't take me bad, Nick, but...

> Some of the areas I want to focus on in 2009-2010 are:
>
> -Growing the OSM-F to support OpenStreetMap as a global organization
> -Setting up Local Chapters around the world

You promised local chapters by February and it's August now.... ;-)


-- 
Iván Sánchez Ortega <ivan at sanchezortega.es>

Un ordenador no es una televisión ni un microondas: es una herramienta 
compleja.