[Osmf-talk] Past - present - future

[Milo van der Linden]

Hello Henk,

Thank you for your effort, good luck in your new job!

I disagree that the mantra is wrong, I think it is why OpenStreetMap
is the wonderfull project it is and it is what makes me happy about
OpenStreetMap, to not be controlled, but be "facilitated".

Cheers,

Milo

2015-12-01 2:41 GMT+01:00 Henk Hoff <henk.hoff at osmfoundation.org>:
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> As you all have noticed, I’m not running for re-election for the Board of
> the OSM Foundation. Although I think I still can bring my expertise to value
> within the Board, I think I will not be able to dedicate enough time the
> coming year. I have just started a new job, which will demand a lot of time
> from me.
>
>
>
> The OpenStreetMap project is a great project in which I have spent a lot of
> my time and money. I’ve experienced a lot of happy moments, but also sad and
> deeply frustrating.
>
> The saddest moment by far is hearing that a fellow Board member, Ulf Müller,
> had been brutally murdered. I still have no words to describe the shock and
> horror of how Ulf was taken from us. May he rest in peace.
>
>
>
> Taking that moment aside, there are other not so great moments. We are all
> passionate people. We are also different people; different upbringing,
> culture, work/study, friends, etc. That creates the need to talk and listen
> in order to understand each other and find the common ground to build upon.
> Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many cases where the listening stopped and the
> whole thing turned into a trench war. As a result, everyone loses. We can
> and should do better.
>
>
>
> But enough about sadness. There have also been plenty of highlights.
> Starting with the State of the Map events. I am getting so much energy out
> of these events. It’s a place to meet the people that make the community. To
> talk with them, have fun with them, learn from them. Every single one has
> been a success in its own way. Take SotM 2014 in Buenos Aires: it resulted
> in a SotM LatAm 2015 in Chile and in having now two candidates for the Board
> of the OSMF. Fantastic!
>
> I’m glad to see a new group of people having joined the SotM organizing team
> to make SotM 16 in Brussels yet another awesome event.
>
>
>
> I’m thankful that I have also been able to work on the license change, the
> rewrite of the Article of Association, setting up the structure for Local
> Chapters, the membership registration (and moving it to CiviCRM), the
> Management Team, and so many other things.
>
>
>
> I would take the opportunity to give the following advice to the next Board:
> Be a *Board*, not “yet another working group”. We have a structure of
> Working Group doing the operational work. The Board should be busy with
> giving direction to the Working Groups; set procedures to enhance
> transparency throughout the organisation; think about how to strengthen the
> organisation; have a vision of where you want to be in a couple of years and
> work out a plan how to get there. But stay away from doing day-to-day work:
> create functioning Working Groups to do that.
>
> Ideally a Board member should not be active in a Working Group. A volunteer
> Board member will already need to spend plenty of time on his/her work
> within the Board
>
>
>
> We need a good functioning organisation in order to be able to protect the
> project. The mantra “to support, not control” has let us into a situation
> where other organisations get into a position where they can get control
> over (parts of) the organisation. Which is not good. The OSMF should be
> running the ship. Not by telling others what not to do, but take the
> steering wheel and lead it in the right direction.
>
> To be clear: I’m not talking about control in the way that the OSMF is going
> to determine what and how to map. That should always be the community’s
> prerogative.
>
>
>
> To do that you need the resources to make that happen. At some point we
> cannot compete as a low budget volunteer organisation with organisations who
> have plenty of people and money to spend. We need to have full-time people
> working on the organisation becoming better.
>
> I’m definitely not suggestion we should become a big organisation like
> Wikimedia. We are miles away from that. Let the fear for something not
> prevent us from setting the first step to a better future.
>
>
>
> Talking of Wikimedia: I personally think it is wrong to have Wikimedia Italy
> represent the OSM community in Italy. (Wikimedia Italy has applied to become
> the Local Chapter for OSM in Italy).
>
>
>
> Let me end with a positive note: it is amazing to see how OpenStreetMap has
> changed business, society and people. That is all thanks to you. Together we
> are a strong community. And strong communities can achieve amazing things.
> Now and in the future.
>
>
>
> Happy mapping!
>
> Henk
>
>
>
>
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>



-- 
Milo van der Linden
web: dogodigi
tel: +31-6-16598808