[OSM-talk] Announcing State of the Map 2024: Join us in Nairobi and online on 6-8 September 2024!

[o_andras]

Hi fellow humans!

(replying to the top email to avoid accidentally pointing fingers, lest 
anyone think I'm accusing them of anything; it's intended to be more of 
an introspection guide)


I find it disheartening that "open and diverse" nowadays seems to mean 
"exclusive". The rules created to foster diversity and whatnot exclude 
too, turns out! So much for diversity...

Of course, this is not news, I'm not the first to think it or even to 
say it (unfortunately I'm not the most expressive either; let's hope I 
can get the message across). Is it taboo to talk about it? I've seen 
others expressing this sentiment and being shunned for it.

Can't the (possibly) affected part of the community understand this? A 
SotM hosted in a "western" country (strong emphasis on the quotes!), 
maybe it's welcomming to the global community -- we the "westerners" are 
so much better after all (that was sarcasm, if you couldn't tell...) 
But is it accessible to the global community?

And didn't you, a "westerner", get the chance of attending several SotMs 
already? And are you part of the OSM community to "westernize" the 
"non-westerners"? Never thought of going to other places to learn 
different ways of life, etc?

Being "good" or "bad" is not so clear-cut, either. There are some better 
things and some worse things. Being worse at something doesn't make it 
worse at everything.

Certainly, not everyone in a given country is the same. You should know 
-- can you positively say there's no discrimination in your own country, 
just because you yourself don't discriminate in your own country? I wish 
you and I both could...


OSM or the SotM isn't your own toy, that you can lend for others to play 
with. It's more of a leisure=playground; access=yes. Let everyone have 
their turn. If you don't want to go down the slide today (no matter the 
reason), go to the swing. The slide will be there for you another day.


PS: please avoid replying with examples of extremism. From my pov it's 
not relevant to the SotM discussion.

Best regards,
o_andras