Foundation/AGM20/Election to Board/Answers and manifestos/Jean-Marc Liotier

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ABOUT YOU:

Your OSM activities

For example:

  • What brought you to OSM and why are you still part of it now?
  • What is your OSM user name?
  • What mapping contributions have you made in the last year?
  • Are you/have you been a member of any OSMF working groups?
  • Do you participate with other OSM mappers, for example in a local chapter or in social meet ups?
  • Have you run anything yourself, such as an OSM-newbie event?
  • Have you written about OpenStreetMap in the past - for example, in a blog, or on mailing lists, or in a newspaper? Please provide links if you can.
  • Do you contribute as a software developer?
  • Have you attended board meetings as a guest?

I started Openstreetmap after calamitous bicycle navigation in Senegal in 2008 and then in Ghana in 2009 – outdated maps, at the wrong scale and with styles unfit for my purposes. I thought there had to be a better way and as a Linux (mostly Debian) user and administrator since the 90’s I logically stumbled upon Openstreetmap and that was love at first sight. I’m still out there, making the maps I would have liked to have and enjoying the discoveries that the pretext of mapping brings to me.

Since 2009, I have accumulated about 2.8 million map changes in 1070 mapping days. Openstreetmap is not just about quantity, but I believe that Openstreetmap data edition is skin in that game, just as much as the publication of Openstreetmap-related free software. Openstreetmap is labor of love by people who share a vision and direct contributions in data and software are the practical proofs of that love. Of course, Openstreetmap Foundation board roles involve no JOSM time nor coding, so they could be handled by non-contributors, but intimate knowledge of the data (through edition or development) is the sole source of Openstreetmap enlightenment and direct contributions in data and software are the proof of the shared values. When it comes to policy decisions, deep understanding and shared values are essential.

My favourite mapping locations are often the most neglected ones, which is just as well because I tend to produce large changesets that would step on people’s toes if they were in busier places. Suburban and rural France, Yaoundé and Douala (Cameroun Openstreetmap was kickstarted by humongous imports of rather old data, so there is a lot of updating to do) for example, but the two areas I’m most proud of are Bamako and the Dakar region, where I believe I produced a critical mass that made a perceptible difference – take a look at object histories there (apart from the mapping-party buildings produced for the sake of gamified statistics, which I loathe touching).

I enjoy what I call “gardening” – I patrol Osmose or OSMCha in my areas of interest, spot fishy changes and start picking up the weeds and opportunistic planting. More than the quantitative glorification of adding, the unglamorous maintenance keeps Openstreetmap’s edge sharp.

My Openstreetmap contributions in Senegal, Mali and Cameroun led me to get to know both locals and foreigners who dwell around the data – I made friends in the process and I’m grateful to Openstreetmap for that. I was privileged to train people in Mali and Senegal in 2016 and that was a highlight of my Openstreetmap experience. Though I have traveled a few times to North America, my center of gravity is clearly Europe, and Africa where I have so far spent time in 25 countries. I believe understanding local context is essential to cartography, so I naturally turned my Openstreetmap activities towards terrain (physical and social) I’m familiar with. Though I enjoy evangelizing and teaching Openstreetmap, I’m not the sort of person you’ll find hanging out at mapping parties – my way of mapping involves personal focus, with social connections mediated through mailing lists (I participate in talk, talk-fr and tagging mostly) and social media (Twitter, Reddit and Hacker News are my favourite watering holes). I promote Openstreetmap there whenever the occasion occurs and I enjoying the occasional frank exchange of views online, in good humor. In the physical world, I like talking shop with anyone friendly and I had much fun doing it at State Of The Map and its French offshoot.

Last time I wrote about Openstreetmap was a few weeks ago, in this somewhat rambling article – and it was also the first I wrote in this format… I should do that more – writing is fun !

Why you want to be a board member?

  • What do you think you can achieve as a board member that you can't as a regular OSM(F) member?
  • What is the most pressing issue the OSMF board should address?

By its nature, Openstreetmap is bound to the free software movement and to its politics. In this context, my foremost duty as a board member will be to ensure that Openstreetmap survives and thrives under a copyleft license – such as the current license. As a user, immersed in free software since 25 years and constant in my advocacy of copyleft, I bring a promise of political stability that I believe essential to the continuing success of Openstreetmap. Everything else is accessory to that and can be handled by the working groups: the board should merely be the ultimate keeper of the oath.

The success of Openstreetmap will draw on diversity in many dimensions: individual and corporate, professional and amateur, for-profit and non-profit, all genders, origins and creeds. For that to occur without turning into the clan warfare that our cooperation can easily (and sometimes does) degenerate into and to protect the weak from the strong, the Openstreetmap Foundation must ensure all participant have no doubt about its willingness to enforce its institutional framework in accordance to core values that won’t be diluted for anyone’s convenience. I’ll represent those who support that position.

A classic avenue for gaining influence with an individual or an organization is to make it financially dependent. We heard calls for the Openstreetmap Foundation to fund projects by spending some of its reserves. Indeed, not spending the investor’s money is a gross mistake – for a company in a high-growth market, which the Openstreetmap Foundation isn’t: the hint is in the name, it is a foundation and its purpose is not to burn through capital in a bid to take over the world. Its purpose is to literally be the foundation (in software jargon, a platform) upon which every sort of purpose (including the takeover-the-world startup flavour of the day and the image-driven NGO) can find support and thrive, safe in the knowledge that Openstreetmap abides. The assets of the Openstreetmap Foundation are what guarantees that in practice.

Already two-thirds of the Openstreetmap Foundation’s income is conference sponsorship and corporate membership – they are welcome and corporate interest will take Openstreetmap to yet unknown heights. But, as useful as they are, corporations are no one’s friend – they will eat you if you look appetizing and weak. Openstreetmap does look appetizing – so it can’t afford to look like it might be influenced away from its values by generous offers in times of need. To that purpose, I will advocate focusing the Openstreetmap Foundation’s budget on its core infrastructure and core missions: sustainability is non-negotiable and frugality is the mean to that end – though that doesn’t exclude earmarked donations for non-core projects that might proceed more efficiently through the Foundation.

Warning large donors that the Openstreetmap that donations tied to unacceptable conditions will be refused is only credible if those donations are not Openstreetmap’s lifeline.

Your time

If you are currently a member of a working group, do you plan to continue your role in that working group while on the board? Do you have enough time to commit to multiple roles?

I am currently in a full-time salaried position, with an employer reasonably flexible about my schedule. I currently have no full time family dependents in my home. Therefore, I’m able to commit to regular participation in Openstreetmap Foundation duties. To that purpose I have scaled down other political commitments and I’m aware that I’ll certainly spend much less time mapping.

Do you have any previous relevant experience?

Please describe any experience you have that might help you be a board member. Here are some examples to help you:

  • Being a board member for OSMF often involves complex negotiation and discussions within the board, with working groups, and with the wider OSM community. Teamwork and the ability to make decisions, listen (truly listen) and hear a diverse set of opinions takes humility, time management, calm process planning, and community-building skills. Do you have an experience where you managed scenarios and conversations that you may not have agreed with and/or that challenged you.
  • Do you have experience of managing a project or a team of people? Do you have any experience of coaching others to lead (i.e. managing managers)? How long have you been doing these things?
  • Have you ever managed multiple stakeholders with different agendas? What was the situation? What did you do? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

My academic background is in business administration, which will find itself right at home in the many dimensions (finance, accounting, marketing, legal, procurement etc.) of the Openstreetmap Foundation’s interests.

My profession for the last twenty years has been the management of information systems projects for network operators. I believe that my understanding of the software industry from strategic level to software development and my current roles in project management and product ownership will let me interact on firm footing with all possible stakeholders around the Openstreetmap foundation. My full CV is available here.

Active in local politics and as an employee representative within a union, I have direct experience of the sort of work and mindset required to form shared understanding and take collective action.

I’m entirely comfortable with the English language, French is my native tongue and I have struggled with German long enough to have been happy to discover that it was actually of some practical use in SOTM Heidelberg (mostly for ordering drinks) – but don’t expect me to handle Openstreetmap conversation on the German mailing lists.

Transparency: Conflicts of interest

A. Is your main source of income related to mapping or GIS work in some way, (whether OSM-related or not)?

B. Are you an employee of, member of, or otherwise affiliated with (paid or non-paid) a company, government organization or non-profit that does work in the OSM ecosystem or might compete with it? Do you have any contracts (employment or otherwise) which would limit what you can say in public that are relevant to OSM? eg a non-disparagement clause with a company/org in the OSM ecosystem? Or an employment contract which commits you to "always work in the company's best interest"?

My sole source of income is the salary I draw from SFR, a French telecommunications operator. Some of our suppliers (ESRI for example) may be participants in the Openstreetmap ecosystem.

YOUR VIEW:

What to do with the face to face meeting in Corona times?

The Board has a tradition to do an expenses-paid two day face-to-face meeting soon after the election, with a focus on agenda-setting for the rest of the year. Since there will be many new members, it also offers a chance to get to know each other better. Do you think this is a good idea? Should this be rather replaced by a video conference, given the uncertainties for travelling in the next year?

Face-to-face meetings bond participants in a way that videoconferencing cannot reproduce, but we are all experienced with coping with the lack of it – and we shall continue for a while. Planning shall of course be updated as the sanitary conditions change.

What's the use of the OSMF ?

From the point of view of a small contributor, how does the OSMF helps me and could improve my "work conditions" ?

The OSMF guarantees that Openstreetmap remains Openstreetmap.

What will you do to build a worldwide community of mappers?

People who need to focus their time and energy towards survival and will contribute only if they see directly profit are structurally under-represented – which is a major fault line in the community. As a result of different motivations, Openstreetmap practice will differ locally. I do not have ready-made solutions for how to ensure that they are part of the global chorus, but I’m aware of the problem and I have witnessed it locally in Africa. I salute the work of the Local Chapters and Communities Working Group, and will encourage their efforts.

What will you do to encourage more women leaders in OSM working groups and governance?

No answer.

Should OSMF accept funding/donations by companies or organisations which do not want to be disclosed to the public?

Background links for context, added at the time of answers' publication:

The Openstreetmap Foundation shall be transparent. As finance is power, the transparency requirement applies especially. If transparency is a problem for some, they are welcome to fund Openstreetmap-related projects through a channel that will accept opacity.

Editing conflicts

The development of the iD editor has been classically contentious. Folks put a lot of the their time into development but made controversial tagging decisions. Do you think that they are right? What role should the OSMF and OSMF board have because it now pays an iD developer?

No answer.

How many paid staff should the OSMF have and why?

Background links for context, added at the time of answers' publication:

Some services are better performed by commercial offerings – take hosting for an obvious example, or electricity supply for a ridiculously obvious one. So let’s not have doctrinal opposition to them. Beyond the evident resiliency requirement of financial independence that shall keep the Openstreetmap Foundation frugal, there are make or buy decisions – which are tied to asset specificity, the degree to which they concern what makes Openstreetmap unique: the database and its API for example. Whether these assets are are produced entirely by volunteers or with assistance from commercial services, it is the responsibility of the foundation to ensure that working groups remain fully in control. That means there must be no vital dependency on external staff - homeostasis must be borne by the working groups as collectives. With those precautions, I have no doctrinal objection to the enlisting of contractors and services - on retainer or as needed in support of volunteers, depending on whether the need recurs regularly.

Not becoming vitally dependent on external staff on a commercial basis means retaining skilled volunteers in those hands operational control must remain. That requires extra care in giving them the proper consideration and agency that makes them uniquely valuable contributors and not mere free labor. It is one more reason for the board to defer to the working groups, under the principle of subsidiarity.

However strong the temptation to spend money directly to implement a board decision, building a consensus of contributors is the more powerful way – albeit slower to start, and Openstreetmap itself is proof of that.

Your views on the use and control of AI (Artificial Intelligence) edit systems?

  • Do you have any familiarity with OSM AI systems? (e.g. Facebook AI-Assisted Road Tracing, RapiD)
  • Do you support the development of it?
  • If the use of AI systems causes damages on existing OSM geographical data (e.g. in Philippines) do you see any needed activity from OSMF side? If yes, which solution the OSMF should provide to control this and organised editing?
  • How is your general opinion about automated edits?

Automation has driven information systems for more than a century and I see no end to that trend – we better surf that wave rather than let it slam over us. In Openstreetmap’s case, the challenge is for users to bring community quality control level with the power dynamics introduced by actors capable of fast large-scale changes to the Openstreetmap data. That challenge is in the hands of the users – but the Openstreetmap Foundation must provide solid support. The Data Working Group is the correct institutional frame for that – but it may have to tool up and grow to match the new risks. Above all, as with other sorts of imports, the actual method must be conflation – with human intelligence in control so that all contributors remain mutually even when assisted by automation… Openstreetmap will keep enforcing that process, vital to ensuring its quality.

What is your opinion of the proposal for a software dispute resolution panel?

Background links for context, added at the time of answers' publication::

There were disputes, the panel is a way to solve them in an organized fashion. I am not competent enough to judge if it is the best way, but a well defined process and an hands-off approach are coherent with what I strive for.

Should we do anything about EU database rights?

The OSMF is incorporated in the UK. The UK completely leaves the European Union on 31 December 2020 and so EU database rights held by UK entities are impacted. Do you think that changes that keep our license clearly enforceable in the EU (e.g. moving the OSMF) are important? Would you give them high priority for your involvement in the OSMF board?

As the effect will only concern data added after 31 December 2020, this is not a matter of immediate urgency – we have a few months to make up our minds. I am insufficiently competent to decide on the matter, so I recommend seeking legal advice about the ways to protect the Openstreetmap database in various jurisdictions. As a citizen of the European Union, I am of course biased towards the benefits of our supranational state.

Manifesto

When it comes to policy decisions, deep understanding and shared values are essential. In the form of my 2.8 million map changes in 1070 mapping days since 2009, my writing, my teaching and coaching, all unpaid, my skin in the game is proof I bear the values of Openstreetmap.

An academic background in business administration and twenty years of professional experience in the management of information systems projects for network operators will let me interact on firm footing with all possible stakeholders around the Openstreetmap Foundation.

By its nature, Openstreetmap is bound to the free software movement and to its politics. In this context, my foremost duty as a board member will be to ensure that Openstreetmap survives and thrives under a copyleft license – such as the current license. User of free software for the last 25 years, constant in my advocacy and free from conflicts of interest as my income does not depend on Openstreetmap, I bring a promise of political stability that I believe essential to the continuing success of Openstreetmap. Everything else is accessory to that and can be handled by the working groups: the board should merely be the ultimate keeper of the oath.

The success of Openstreetmap will draw on diversity in many dimensions: individual and corporate, professional and amateur, for-profit and non-profit, all genders, origins and creeds. For that to occur without turning into the clan warfare that our cooperation can easily (and sometimes does) degenerate into and to protect the weak from the strong, the Openstreetmap Foundation must ensure all participant have no doubt about its willingness to enforce its institutional framework in accordance to core values that won’t be diluted for anyone’s convenience. I’ll represent those who support that position and I promise transparency.

Warning large donors that the Openstreetmap that donations tied to unacceptable conditions will be refused is only credible if those donations are not Openstreetmap’s lifeline. So that Openstreetmap is never tempted to let itself drift away from its values by generous offers in times of need, I will advocate focusing the Openstreetmap Foundation’s budget on its core infrastructure and core missions: sustainability is non-negotiable and frugality is the mean to that end – though that doesn’t exclude earmarked donations for non-core projects that might proceed more efficiently through the Foundation. So that Openstreetmap does not become vitally dependent on external staff on a commercial basis, the foundation’s working groups must retain skilled volunteers in those hands operational control must remain. That requires extra care in giving them the proper consideration and agency that makes them uniquely valuable contributors and not mere free labor. It is one more reason for the board to defer to the working groups, under the principle of subsidiarity.

However strong the temptation to spend money directly to implement a board decision, building a consensus of contributors is often the more powerful way – albeit slower to start, and Openstreetmap itself is proof of that.

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