[OSM-talk-be] an belgian OpenStreetMap group

[Ben Laenen]

Olivier Coppin wrote:
> Yes, there are a group on the mailing list but as you say nothing is
> organized (it's true?).
> I think a group with some people who organize themselves to :
> 
>     * mapping party (try to complete city by city)
>     * translate wiki (someone reporte a no-translated article and the
>       groupe translate it)
>     * keep an eye on several areas (remove bad adds, bad changes, errors)
>     * create printable maps for billboard
>      
>  <http://www.e24.fr/multimedia/dynamic/00009/jc_decaux_469_300_9771b.jpg>
>  and pocket map for each complete city
>     * contact region, city, stib, TEC,... (for exemple: city can say all
>       news streets, region can help to complete OpenStreetMap, stib and
>       TEC for bus lines, ...)
>     * work for a best communication between belgian members (I think
>       that mailing list is not easy for newbies)
> 
> A group with targets. A group who organize activities each month
> (mapping party, translation, contact,...)
> What do you think? Useful or not? (Or others ideas for targets of this
> group?)

If your idea is to setup a legal entity, we were thinking about setting up a 
vzw/asbl some time ago. You can even find the draft statute on the wiki. But 
the idea was put aside for now since it's not really needed yet for what we're 
doing. We can do most things on the list, but if we need to handle money (your 
idea for billboards for example which on its turn would require 
sponsorship...) it may be best to have this legal structure.

Other than that, the list of ideas you mention is what we've managed to do 
already, albeit not too organized. If someone wants to do a mapping party 
somewhere, he can come up with the idea and see who else is interested in 
organizing.


Translating the wiki: let's first have proper pages in English before we 
translate and have the extra burden to adjust the other translations while 
we're fixing the English ones to not end up with contradicting translations.

Keeping an eye on areas: this is actually done, usually by local people. I 
personally keep an eye on everything that moves in Antwerp and surroundings, 
and I've experienced that others do the same in theirs. But there are blind 
spots of course, but you'll need local people with at least basic knowledge of 
the area, and not each part of Belgium has such a person already.

Printable maps for billboard: actually a nice idea to contrast with the 
(sometimes horribly out of date) maps that are put there by the municipality 
itself. But if we get money for that there are maybe other things to spend it 
on (satellite imagery, mapping gear, events)

Contacting other organizations for data: this is where we lack some structure. 
Some people have been doing it, but it's not possible to tell who did what. 
But not sure if we need a new organization for that (you can ask for it on 
your on behalf), although these organizations may be more willing if we ask on 
behalf of the vzw/asbl.

Communication: well, what's the alternative for what we have now? We have IRC 
and a mailing list. Do you want an address like info at openstreetmap.be with 
someone on the other side directing the questions to the proper people? I 
think the mailing list is much better then because then the proper people will 
certainly get the message. Sure, it requires signing up to the list and that's 
often seen as a burden. But I don't really see an alternative which wouldn't 
possibly exclude a lot of people out of a discussion which they might be 
interested in.


So, as some sort of conclusion: if your goals don't require the legal 
structure of a vzw/asbl, there's not much point in creating an extra layer 
above the organization that we are today (the Belgian community). You'll find 
that the people interested in it have already sort of "connected" with each 
other and are discussing things like you mention above. It's a loose structure 
without real hierarchies but it works.

Also, the vzw/asbl would basically be independent of the community. It would 
only be there to support it, and not tell what the community has to do.


You want a monthly mapping party or some other meeting? Sure, propose a date 
and location on the wiki. If there are three people interested in organizing 
new meetings each month together, even better. But no need to call that an 
organization, because that would other people feel "left out" and would create 
an extra barrier to participate in it as well.

Greetings
Ben