[Osmf-talk] OSMF 2020 between concern and disappointment

Rory McCann rory at technomancy.org
Thu Oct 22 18:01:04 UTC 2020


On Thu, 22 Oct 2020, at 5:40 PM, severin.menard via osmf-talk wrote:
> [3]. Unless I'm mistaken, only one member of the board is involved, but 
> the exchange is particularly enlightening: Rory McCann summarizes the 
> board's approach to funding decisions in terms of what "sounds good" 
> and he fails to understand the expectations summarized by Imagico in 
> the sentence "document and publish the key parts of the decision making 
> process, in particular risk analysis that has been made on social 
> implications and economic risk".

OK, I think I did address this comment ( https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/imagico/diary/393808#comment47892 ), but to spell it out:

I have used osm2pgsql & Nominatim for years and years, both personally and professionally. I used to use Potlatch as my first editor. I know how useful and important it is. I know how a lot of open source is underfunded and underdeveloped. I know that FLOSS devs often suffer burnout. I see big companies being able to steamroll through open source because they can throw money at things. So when I see the oppertunity to support it, I support it.

I believe that meets this request. Christoph (or you) never did define how many words were required. I could write a 10,000 word document on how useful osm2pgsql etc. are, but then I don't have the time to work on other board stuff, and I think it's better to work on other issues like take over protection, reviewing local chapter applications etc. 

> Two years later, the OSMF does not 
> seem to be better armed to counter this danger, and rather less so, 
> having less cash and greater financial needs to maintain its servers. 
> Draft solutions had been proposed, but were not taken up and 
> implemented

I  started the conversation about AoA changes to maker it harder to "buy the OSMF", and I plan to email some more drafts, and have an AoA amendment prposal for everyone to vote on. I want to do something for this.



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