[Osmf-talk] Membership and membership records (was Re: Running)

[Michael Collinson]

Hi,
Just for the record, especially as regard to transparency:  As former 
membership secretary, I also receive email sent to membership at .  I 
believe, though I have not confirmed, that I still have access to the 
membership database spreadsheet online.  I hesitate to access it now as 
the board, quite rightly from a privacy point of view, has tightened up 
on who should access it and I have no "official" reason.  Also, when I 
was membership secretary I simply downloaded back up copies and kept 
them in a secure location. Either that is still being done or it is a 
simple matter to address.

It has possibly been answered already, I am still catching up with 
osm-talk and osmf-talk:  There is no technical or political issue in 
opening access to all board members.  The concern is one of data 
protection of (your) private information, particularly with regard to 
European regulation since we are organisationally and physically 
server-based in Europe.  Access to the database needs to be limited to 
folks with a specific need to. Clearly the membership secretary does.  
When you become a member, you are not currently explicity asked to allow 
your (very minimal) membership details to be accessed for any other 
purpose. Therefore the board maximises restriction. That of course can 
be changed but needs checking that regulations are met, proper 
discussion and consent ... and someone to take on improving our sign-up 
technology.  A small thing but yet another thing to do, which leads me 
to a final observation ...

Could I do being doing more to help Henk and therefore you? Yes. But I 
am also busy with other things and, I am rather embarrassed to admit, 
rather demotivated in picking such things up. That may be just my 
personal failing, but I think it is also reflecting a core and general 
underlying problem that we just have too few people doing too many 
things. I am putting together a, I hope, thoughtful mailing on the subject.

Mike

PS Thank you Julien for your nice final comment, not only for myself but 
the others who put in much more time than I do.


On 27/10/2014 10:01, THEVENON Julien wrote:
> *De :* Sarah Hoffmann <lonvia at denofr.de>
> My impression was that you are the only person who has access to the 
> member
> database itself and the only person who receives mails directed to the
> membership@ address. Notwithstanding the transparancy issue, I am 
> concerned
> that the database may be lost should you become suddenly unavailable. Is
> there a technical or political reason to not keep the database at a place
> where it is available to all board members?
>
>
> According to Henk's mail saying that he is very busy at the moment I 
> can confirm Sarah's feeling.
> I sent a first mail to membership adress on 9th September  to know the 
> status of my membership
> As there were no answers I sent a mail on 17th september on osmf talk 
> @ to check if membership @ was still valid. Thanks to that I recceived 
> an answer from Henk and Skye Book on to inform me that I will have an 
> answer next week.
> Since that mail I didn't receive news any more.
> I know that people like Henk take on their free time to contribute to 
> OSMF and that this is not always easy but for important thinks like 
> membership that condition the capability to vote for the coming board 
> elections I`m afraid there is no backup...
> Due to the 30 days rule to be able to vote I`m afraid that if I need 
> to renew mmy membership it will be too late for me to participate 
> despite my efforts to take it by advance
>
> Again a big thanks to people involved in foundation and working groups 
> for the time they spent to support OSM
>
> Cheers
> Julien
>
>
>
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