[Osmf-talk] Hostile takeover of the OpenStreetMap Foundation?

[Allan Mustard]

Data do not support the contention that the US has dominated OSM. The 
largest contingent in the consistently active OSM community is European, 
with Germany the largest contributor of community members by far.[1]  
Until two years ago all local chapters were in Europe.[2] The OSMF Board 
currently has one US citizen member (Mikel Maron), one Filipino, one 
Irish, one Luxembourg, one French, and two German members (i.e., 5 out 
of 7 board members are European).[3]  The previous board had two US 
citizens (Mikel plus me), one Filipino, and four European  members.[4][5]

During my two years on the board I perceived no efforts on the part of 
U.S. corporate members or donors to exert influence on the board, aside 
from periodic expressions of concern about the stability of the platform 
(which concern was shared broadly across the entire community).[6][7]

cheers,
apm

[1] 
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/File:2021_OSMF_survey_country_respondents.ods
[2] 
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Annual_General_Meetings/2020/Chairperson%E2%80%99s_report
[3] https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Officers_%26_Board
[4] 
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Annual_General_Meetings/2019/Election_to_Board
[5] 
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Annual_General_Meetings/2020/Election_to_Board
[6] https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Stereo/diary/395903
[7] https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/w/images/2/27/2021_survey_slides.pdf, 
pages 8-10

On 11/22/2022 5:00 AM, Simon Poole wrote:
> Rolands mail was clearly written with the concern that we would get 
> tactical last minute nominations as we had last year and he was 
> warning against that leading to a scenario in which candidates that 
> employed such tactics could essentially be elected by default if there 
> were not enough alternative nominations.
>
> He didn't refer to the nationality of the candidates or of the 
> companies employing them at all, just to the fact that they had 
> previously tried above mentioned tactic.
>
> More general remark: the OSMF has over the years always had 
> significant US influence if not dominance, way more than would be 
> warranted by representation on any kind of metric except for money. 
> Moaning about being treated badly is in that context at best 
> disingenuous, if not deliberately misleading.
>
> Simon
>
> PS: it is well known that I don't believe it is good form for board 
> members to be involved in the specifics of election candidates and 
> this shows why.
>
>
>
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