[Osmf-talk] Alternative Strategic Plan

[Brian M. Sperlongano]

On Sat, May 13, 2023 at 11:46 AM Steve Coast <steve at stevecoast.com> wrote:

> Dear all
>
>
>
> We formed OSMF to take care of the map. Let’s reset and focus on that with
> a strategic plan by the mappers for the mappers:
>
>
>
> 2.     Funding will focus on completing the map:
>
> a.     By having a clear metrics-based plan above we can seek funding to
> build specific tools and features towards map completion.
>
> b.     A paid “OpenStreetMap Approved” program will standardize corporate
> membership by certifying a company uses OSM data in a way that respects the
> license and community.
>
> c.     A certified version of OSM will be released quarterly that has
> been semi-automatically checked for validity and correctness. Paid
> corporate members can be involved in the process.
>
> d.     OSM conferences and local chapters will pay OSMF a small fee per
> attendee or member and in exchange also be “OpenStreetMap Approved”, once
> the board is shown to be effective.
>

Individual members don't fund the major costs of OSM. This might surprise
some folks, but it's funded largely by companies and other organizations
that find the project and its data valuable. The mappers contributing data
are the project's most valuable commodity, and I don't think picking their
pockets would be a particularly effective way to thank them. As an OSM US
board member, I'd oppose the foundation treating local chapters as their
piggy bank. When we became an OSMF local chapter, there was considerable
debate about the benefits of becoming a chapter versus being an independent
organization. If local chapters were made to kick back cash to the
foundation, this would seriously reduce the desire of mapping organizations
to affiliate with the OSMF. Thankfully this has not happened so far.

I will also note that while metrics and visuals are valuable (OSM
Americana, for example, has driven significant expressway and route mapping
in the US, which is a local priority for us), these kinds of efforts do not
require top-down management from the foundation. Anybody can produce a map
visualization that drives mappers to add a particular data class.
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