[OSM-talk] From osmf-talk: "Balancing the presence of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT US Inc) in the OpenStreetMap Foundation"

Dave F. davefox at madasafish.com
Wed Nov 25 12:10:55 UTC 2015


How do you perceive these "dangers" will manifest themselves?

Dave F.

On 24/11/2015 23:01, nicolas chavent wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
> Apologies for crosspostings, resending to talk an email sent to
> osmf-talk about the HOT US Inc presence at the Board of the OSMF.
>
> Best,
> Nicolas
>
>
> Dear OSMF voting members and mappers,
>
> This short note (also published in my diary [1]) to draw your
> attention on the danger for OSMF (and the OSM project) in the case the
> United States NGO "Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team US Inc" (aka HOT US
> Inc) got a majority at the OSMF Board after this 2015 election.
>
> Mikel Maron, Joseph Reeves and Yantisa Akhadi, all members of the NGO
> HOT US Inc, are running for the OSMF Board [2]; Kate Chapman, the
> former ED of HOT US Inc serves already as Board Officer in OSMF.
>
> Shall Mikel Maron, Joseph Reeves and Yantisa Akhadi be elected, HOT US
> Inc will get a majority at the Board of the Foundation.
> This will provide a single organization of the OSM ecosystem (HOT US
> Inc) with an unprecedented and excessive power of influence over the
> Foundation.
>
> This running of three candidates from the same organization is
> puzzling and troublesome when one considers that HOT US Inc (and
> therefore its perspective around OpenStreetMap) is already represented
> at the OSMF Board since Sept 2013. Why extending its presence and
> influence and consequently diminishing the OSM diversity represented
> at the OSMF Board?
>
> A greater HOT US Inc presence at the OSMF Board would be a matter of
> concern in terms of :
> - balance of powers
> - diversity of visions, thoughts and practices around OSM
> - board dynamics: a collective of HOT US Inc Boardees would interact
> with single individuals.
> This is a bad practice which is not followed by any Organizations;
> this is specifically true for representative bodies (organization
> representing organizations) such as OSMF
>
> Here are some elements that OSMF voting members shall have in ming
> prior casting their ballot 28-Nov onwards bearing in minds that HOT US
> Inc and this perspective about OSM is already represented at the OSMF
> Board through Kate Chapman.
>
> The HOT US Inc perspective informs, like other perspectives, the work
> of the Foundation and has its effect on the OSM project, there is no
> need to take risks in providing this group with more room in the
> Foundation which is hot enough in these times of winter.
>
> Best,
> Nicolas
>
> [1]: https://www.openstreetmap.org/user/Nicolas Chavent/diary/36750
> [2]: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Foundation/AGM15/Election_to_Board
>
>
>
>


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