[Osmf-talk] Next OSMF Board Meeting 2017-04-18

[Christoph Hormann]

On Tuesday 18 April 2017, Peter Barth wrote:
>
> the topic is kind of misleading and only the headline for an issue
> that deserves secrecy in parts. A general discussion about such an
> topic will be public for sure.
>
> The main issue is, that we couldn't finish to discuss yet, how much
> and what we can/may disclose.

Hello Peda,

my main problem here is in general with the concept of organizational 
secrets w.r.t. matters of fundamental community concern.  

Since board meetings have become public you have had closed parts IIRC 
on the matters of administrative assistent recruiting (obvious since 
personal information is involved here) and specific corporate donations 
(which is also quite clearly serving the mission of the OSMF since 
being able to discuss the possibility of donations confidentially is 
certainly important for many potential donors).

It is natural that board members individually have knowledge of 
confidential information they won't disclose (like things that are part 
of their day jobs).  But if there are shared secrets between the board 
members as part of board business that are not accessible to the OSM 
community this IMO has to have a plausible and publicly documented 
reason that is clearly in line with and serves the mission of the OSMF.

While i can easily imagine that information about corporate map editing 
that is not publicly known becomes known to board members there should 
IMO normally be no expectation of confidentiality regarding such 
information when such things are shared and discussed on the board.

But to be constructive on the matter at hand - maybe just consider if 
you have a clear reason for secrecy that you can publicly communicate 
or alternatively if you can limit discourse on the matter of corporate 
map editing to things that can be done in the open.

-- 
Christoph Hormann
http://www.imagico.de/