Talk:Foundation/AGM21/Election to Board

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Official set of questions for candidates

Michael Collinson (facilitator):
I have now added the official questions. Thanks to all that have participated. Candidates: Please submit your answers -and your manifestos- before 2021-11-14 23:59 UTC - directly to Dorothea, as OSMF administrative assistant and cc me (dorothea@osmfoundation.org, mike@ayeltd.biz). An approximate estimate of how much time that you spend on your answers and manifestos would be appreciated; this will help us in future years.

Please answer as many questions as you can. Our suggestion is to answer all of them - we are a global organisation, so many voters won't know you and this will help them make a decision.

Answering: Please divide your answers clearly use the numbers in the contents above - it makes our editing job much more easy!
Formatting: Plain text or Mediawiki formatting (if you are familiar with it) are preferred.

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?

What are your board member goals ?

  • What do you think you can achieve as a board member that you can't as a regular OSM(F) member?
  • What would you personally like to achieve when on the board? Do you have a focus?

Your time

How much time do you have a month to devote to being a board member?

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?

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"?

YOUR VIEW:

These questions are based on specific questions by members of the the OpenStreetMap community and so are of active concern to at least some of us:

Worldwide OSM

How important is OpenStreetMap being a worldwide map to you and why?

Attribution and editor links by major map data users

Prominent projects like Facebook, MAPS.ME or Mapbox are using OSM data but many members of the OSM community feel that they do not properly directly attribute us and that some do not provide an easy link to use an OpenStreetMap editor. So many people using maps made with our data can remain unaware of the project and so we lose project visibility and potential contributors. This has not changed despite multiple requests from various mappers over several years. What do you plan to do as a board member?

Dealing with disputes, mediation

We all have different opinions and cannot always easily agree. A role of a board member is to resolve and move forward. How will you deal with conflicts with other board members and with other key people or groups? Do you have previous experience?

You and OSMF Strategic Plan Outline

What will you do to follow up on the Strategic Plan Outline the 2021 OSMF Board adopted? Do you disagree with any parts of the Strategic Plan Outline, and if so, which parts?

Technology Gaps

What do you consider to be the key technology gap areas in the OpenStreetMap ecosystem that the community should tackle over the next 2-3 years, and what role do you feel the OSMF has in addressing those gaps?

How to increase mapper retention?

The most important part of our project are the individuals that volunteer their time to contribute to the project: mapping, software development, participation in various OSM community forums and more. However, new contributors often leave the project shortly after creating an account and making a few edits. What do you feel are the biggest factors that cause new contributors to quit, and what will you do to increase new mapper retention as an OSMF board member?

Role of OSMF in large-scale data tagging disputes

There is currently an active dispute over the tagging of river areas (WikiProject_Waterways/River_modernization vs. WikiProject_Cartography/Waterways) that has been highly active for a couple years, with proponents arguing for and against the merits of two tagging schemes. What do you consider to be the OSMF's role in large-scale disputes like these, if any?

Use of proprietary communication channels in OSM

In recent years, mappers have been using proprietary, closed-source communications platforms for collaboration and community debate. These platforms, which include Slack, Discord, and Facebook, have attracted thousands of users in OSM-related channels, despite a poor record of privacy controls and a lack of open access to archives. Do you feel that these non-libre communications platforms are harmful or beneficial to the project, and what role if any do you feel the OSMF has in promoting or establishing open alternatives?

OSM Carto rendering cycle on zoom levels 1-12

A very specific question from a contributor: OSM Carto renders usually once a month on zoom levels 1-12. They and others would like it to be done more often, perhaps weekly. Sometimes there are huge multipolygon (forest, or farmland, or glacier etc) additions, or it may happen that some mappers break the multipolygon and it'd be great if we didn't have to use the dirty tiles all the time, because it's annoying and slow to do. But in the OSM ecosphere it is up to the maintainers. As a board member would you get involved and if so what would you do?


End of official questions to the board candidates.

Community questions to OSMF board candidates, upon which the official set will be based

Submission of community questions to the board candidates closed on 2 November ("end of", in UTC).

Here will be the questions from the OSM community to the candidates for the OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) board elections. An official set of questions -based on the questions below- will be published on November 7.

Asking questions? You are kindly asked to be respectful in your tone and try to phrase questions in an open way without already implying a certain answer or trick questions which are superficially about something else than what you want to know. Also you should give enough context to your questions, possibly with links, so they can be understood by any interested community member and not just insiders familiar with the specific subject and by any candidate so both long term active members and newcomers have an equal chance of giving you an accurate and honest answer.

The questions from 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 etc. might still be relevant for inspiration.

Questions from non English speaking community members

  • We invite local communities to get together, discuss and add their questions. If you do not feel comfortable in asking your questions in English, feel free to add them in your native language.
  • We invite other community members who can help, to add translations above of the non-EN questions. In case no-one reading this page can help, the Communication Working Group (CWG) will try to find people to translate the questions.
  • Please note that -depending on the language and date- the CWG cannot guarantee translation of all non-EN questions. So, we kindly ask you to add any non-EN questions as soon as possible.

Are you a candidate? In advance thanks to all candidates for standing for election. You are kindly asked to wait for the official set of questions, which will be published on November 7th, on this page. Submit your answers to the official questions and your manifestos directly to the facilitator Mike Collinson and cc our administrative assistant (mike@ayeltd.biz, dorothea@osmfoundation.org). Please view the official questions as a possibility to articulate your views on matters that might be important for OSM community members. State freely if you have not formed an opinion on a question or are unable to answer it based on your current knowledge. Please also feel encouraged to state if your position on a question is a firm conviction or if what you say is just an opinion. If English is not your native language and you feel you cannot properly express your ideas on a certain question in English, feel free to answer in your native language.

Thank you all for participating in this procedure.

How to deal with missing attribution? Any conflicts of interest in this regard?

Prominent projects like Facebook, MAPS.ME or Mapbox are using OSM data but are missing proper attribution. This is unchanged despite multiple requests from various mappers, and results in many people using OpenStreetMap data and remaining completely unaware about OpenStreetMap project. As result we are losing many potential contributors, impacting attempts to make OSM community more diverse. What you plan to do with this problem as a board member?

Are you employed or connected to an entity where this would be conflict of interest? For example - are you working for Mapbox or FB that refuse to clearly attribute OSM mappers with their click-on-hidden-i-to-view-attribution?

PS Yes, it is also reducing number of harmful attention like vandalism and other kind of visibility, in addition to losing potential contributors. But overall effect seems clearly negative, unwanted and possible to reduce by enforcing license of OSM data.

Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 12:25, 14 October 2021 (UTC)

Question 2: hidden contribution possibility

Follow-up of question 1

Not only, some major map publishers are missing proper attribution but don't provide a link to an OpenStreetMap editor or a list of editors and "offer" a link to... help the publisher to edit the page. It's legal.

Is it a fair use of the ecosystem? Do you think it should be improved and how? --Nospam2005 (talk) 19:51, 14 October 2021 (UTC)

Worldwide OSM

How important is OpenStreetMap being a worldwide map to you and why?

Andrew (talk) 20:35, 21 October 2021 (UTC)

How to increase mapper retention?

The most important assets we have on the project are the individuals that volunteer their time to contribute to the project in various ways, including mapping, software development, and participation in various OSM community forums. However, new contributors often leave the project shortly after creating an account and making a few edits. What do you feel are the biggest factors that cause new contributors to quit, and what will you do to increase new mapper retention as an OSMF board member? --ZeLonewolf (talk) 02:20, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

What are your goals?

What would you like to achieve when on the board? Do you have a focus? Westnordost (talk) 11:44, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

Dealing with disputes, mediation

The board members do not always have the same opinion on things. How (did you and) will you deal with conflicts - with other board members but also with other key people or groups -, resolve them and/or move forward anyway? Westnordost (talk) 11:58, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

Question 7. Strategic Plan Outline

Agreement or Disagreement with the Strategic Plan Outline.
What will you do to follow up on the Strategic Plan Outline the 2021 OSMF Board adopted? Do you disagree with any parts of the Strategic Plan Outline, and if so, which parts? Apm-wa (talk) 13:06, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

Role of OSMF in large-scale disputes

There is currently an active dispute over the tagging of river areas (WikiProject_Waterways/River_modernization vs. WikiProject_Cartography/Waterways) that has been highly active for a couple years, with proponents arguing for and against the merits of two tagging schemes. What do you consider to be the OSMF's role in large-scale disputes like these, if any? Eiim (talk) 17:59, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

Technology Gaps

What do you consider to be the key technology gap areas in the OpenStreetMap ecosystem that the community should tackle over the next 2-3 years, and what role do you feel the OSMF has in addressing those gaps? --ZeLonewolf (talk) 02:32, 29 October 2021 (UTC)

OSM Carto rendering cycle on zoom levels 1-12

My issue is that the OSM Carto renders usually once a month on zoom levels 1-12, however me and many people arised the question on Discord or on other platforms that it would be better if this was done more often, like once a week. Sometimes there are huge multipolygon(forest, or farmland, or glacier etc) additions, or it may happen that some mappers break the multipolygon and it'd be great if we didn't have to use the dirty tiles all the time, because it's annoying and slow to do. Can you all find a way to convince the maintainers to change update cycle on lower zooms? - Ottwiz (talk) 16:32, 31 October 2021 (UTC)

Use of proprietary communication channels in OSM

In recent years, mappers have been using proprietary, closed-source communications platforms for collaboration and community debate. These platforms, which include Slack, Discord, and Facebook, have attracted thousands of users in OSM-related channels, despite a poor record of privacy controls and a lack of open access to archives. Do you feel that these non-libre communications platforms are harmful or beneficial to the project, and what role if any do you feel the OSMF has in promoting or establishing open alternatives? --ZeLonewolf (talk) 00:34, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

Software governance

Some of the core software projects within the OpenStreetMap ecosystem today rely on small groups of volunteers – or, in some cases, a single passionate individual – to develop the software and manage the project's relationship with the community. Should the Foundation help these projects to avoid a "single point of failure"? Are there other ways that you believe the Foundation should ensure long-term continuity of OSM's core software stack while respecting the maintainers' expertise? – Minh Nguyễn 💬 01:57, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

Transparency

Which specific actions you made or will make to increase transparency? And to avoid what happened with WMF where general public has no idea at all what is happening, including lack of info how budget is being spend? Do you think that more discussion should happen during public board meeting instead of on closed sessions? Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 09:50, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

Question 14: Commending Good Edits

When it comes to quality edits, they are often overlooked/not acknowledged when they are made. This can discourage people, especially new mappers. What are your thoughts on this?
--TheAdventurer64 (talk) 00:19, 6 November 2021 (UTC)

Diversity and/or Inclusion?

Please read this article

  • What is your opinion? (about Paolo Gaudiano suggestions, adapted to the OSM community?)
  • What is your favorite reasons (or less favorite); why?
  • have you read any interesting books or studies ( related to diversity&inclusion topic ) that you would recommend to other board members?
  • any related comments?


--ImreSamu (talk) 23:48, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

Question 16

Explanatory text.

Please remove this sentence and sign and date your message by typing four tildes ~~~~ at its end.

Checking Cultural bias

  • What is you cultural bias?

based on the candidates cultural backgrounds; I have selected an opposite culture research:

  • What is your opinion about ranking diversity ( religions,gender,... )?
    • A. "illegal to be LGBTQ+" vs. "illegal to wear Burqa"
    • B. "Topless mapping" safety ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burqa ( comment2: Burqa ban: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Burka_ban_world_map.svg )

asked by: --ImreSamu (talk) 23:57, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

General Election to Board Wiki-Discussion:

This space is for discussing the page in a normal wiki talk page like style. For substantial election discussions the osmf-talk mailing list is probably a more suitable place. Subscription to osmf-talk is available to members of the Foundation, using the same email-address they have registered as OSMF members. You can join the OpenStreetMap Foundation here: https://join.osmfoundation.org/

Ad question 2

I think that it is

  1. perfectly fine
  2. filtering out vandals and not really interested people

We lose some people who would productively edit, but direct "edit" link from FB maps would not result in anything good. We would be buried under spam and vandalism and confused people who would not distinguish FB from OSM Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 20:29, 14 October 2021 (UTC)

Transparency

Regarding this question, it would help to link to some background information about the WMF and its practices around budgeting and transparency, in case the candidates aren't that familiar with the WMF yet. – Minh Nguyễn 💬 21:45, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

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