[Osmf-talk] AGM and board elections

[Simon Poole]

This particular legend, like most, has a core of truth, but it still is a legend. When discussing zero cost options we investigated it and as it seems, it goes back to a blog post by Steve in which he offered free membership to anybody that sent him a postcard.

Nobody actually took him up on the offer and it would have, naturally, required Steve to sponsor the membership fee for the member(s) in question. It was never an official offer by the foundation nor would have that been possible without a change to the articles.

Simon

On 21. September 2014 14:27:10 MESZ, Mikel Maron <mikel_maron at yahoo.com> wrote:
>On Sun, Sep 21, 2014 at 5:20 AM, Simon Poole <simon at poole.ch> wrote:
>> We don't have a good solution wrt the membership fees which at
>> least for some regions are a big hurdle, but I'm a tiny bit
>optimistic
>> that we may have something this or next year (it is again one of
>those
>> issues that have been on the table since 2007).
>
>
>Actually, OSMF had a solution for this in 2007. If a mapper could not
>afford the fees, or the transaction was difficult, they could send a
>postcard or letter to register their membership. I'm not sure if anyone
>ever took up this offer, but it was a real option.
>
>The point of the minimal membership fees was never to raise money, but
>be a small token of seriousness in joining OSMF. In other words, it's a
>slight a step beyond registering for an OSM.org account. The postcard
>method also demonstrates this, but with no financial or transaction
>burden.
>
>I'm not sure how we collectively forgot about this option. But it is a
>simple and effective option that we could immediately reinstate.
>
>-Mikel
> 
>
>
>* Mikel Maron * +14152835207 @mikel s:mikelmaron
>
>
>On Sunday, September 21, 2014 7:57 AM, Randy Meech
><randy.meech at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>
>>
>>
>>On Sun, Sep 21, 2014 at 5:20 AM, Simon Poole <simon at poole.ch> wrote:
>>> Formal membership in an organisation is simply slightly at odds with
>the
>>> basic premise of OSM.
>>
>>Possibly, but in fact there is an organization and it has remained
>>largely static over the years. This seems more at odds with a large
>>global project, to say nothing of how unsafe it is to have board seats
>>won with so few votes on such a valuable project.
>>
>>> As said above at least from a pure legal pov some of the hurdles are
>now
>>> gone. We don't have a good solution wrt the membership fees which at
>>> least for some regions are a big hurdle, but I'm a tiny bit
>optimistic
>>> that we may have something this or next year (it is again one of
>those
>>> issues that have been on the table since 2007).
>>
>>There could be a multi-year plan with membership targets and
>>accompanying price reductions. For example, double membership in 2015,
>>cut the fees in half. Or something like that with the goal of raising
>>roughly the same money from many more people.
>>
>>As for other hurdles, removing them is great but I believe the real
>>problem is lack of knowledge about the OSMF and what it does among the
>>general OSM user base.
>>
>>> If we take it as a given that increasing membership is a good idea,
>the
>>> question is what should the board or more specific: I, do about it?
>This
>>> might seem like a rhetoric question, but isn't.
>>
>>Some ways to do this:
>>
>>1. Put up a notice on the website (like the one for SotM in Buenos
>>Aires right now) with a message & a link to this:
>>http://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Join
>>
>>2. A yearly email to all registered users seems reasonable. Could have
>>a few versions depending on user activity. For inactive users,
>>reminding them about the project and pointing out improvements in
>>editing tools since they joined could be good. For active users,
>>educating them about the existence of the OSMF, what it does, how the
>>working groups need help (per Paul's message on this thread), how to
>>get involved, join, vote, etc.
>>
>>3. Reminder emails to OSMF members as their memberships expire per
>>Michal's other email on the topic.
>>
>>I'd be happy to write up some of this if people think it's helpful. I
>>talked to Harry about joining the CWG but haven't done much yet.
>>
>>
>>-Randy
>>
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>>
>>

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