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

[Heather Leson]

Thank you

On Tue, Nov 22, 2022, 15:54 Allan Mustard <allan at mustard.net> wrote:

> 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.
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > osmf-talk mailing list
> > osmf-talk at openstreetmap.org
> > https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/osmf-talk
>
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