Board/Minutes/2024-01-11

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Draft minutes.

Location: Video room at https://osmvideo.cloud68.co
using BigBlueButton.

Date and time: Thursday 11 January 2024, 13:30 UTC - Countdown

Please note that this board video chat is not open to observers.

Acronyms

Participants

Board members

  • Arnalie Vicario
  • Craig Allan (connection issues)
  • Guillaume Rischard
  • Mateusz Konieczny
  • Roland Olbricht

Not Present

  • Sarah Hoffmann
  • Dani Waltersdorfer

Officers and board
Biographies

Minutes by Dorothea Kazazi.

Guests

Not open to observers.

Software dispute resolution panel enquiry

Suggested by Mateusz Konieczny.

Suggestions

  • Keep the Software Dispute Resolution panel for the time being, in case of problems.
  • Mateusz to try and find a replacement for the panel member who left.
  • Suggestions from other board members are welcome.

Other points mentioned during discussion

  • Might need the panel for Vector Tiles.
  • Could be someone who was involved in writing OSM software but less involved now

Action item: Mateusz to try and find a replacement for the Software Dispute Resolution panel member who left.

OSM Belgium Local Chapter re-application

Suggested by Arnalie Vicario.

See supporting documents for Local Chapter re-application and community.osm.org consultation.

  • Late November/December: We received the OSM Belgium application.
  • Arnalie reviewed all the documents - minor clarifications were requested.
  • Local Chapters and Communities Working Group (LCCWG) has handed the application to the board, as it is a unique case.
  • Dec 21: Consultation on community.osm.org - 55 comments.
  • Ben Abelshausen (OSM BE) has been communicative to us about the OSM BE difficulties.

On consultation on community.osm.org

  • Agreement expressed with the summary by Brian Sperlongano.

Concerns expressed by community members

  • What has transpired between Open Knowledge Foundation (OKFN) Belgium and OSM Belgium.
  • Governance - current OSM Belgium board member was an OKFN Belgium director at the time.
  • Resources/financials/legal issues.
    • Implying the transfer of funds might be problematic.
    • From the outside perspective, it might look like OKFN BE is going bust and they are trying to get assets out.
      • Probably not relevant and can't see how the OSMF would be liable.

On OSM BE responses on community.osm.org

  • The questions by community members seem answered.
  • Answers satisfactory.
  • Consequences: There seem to be no consequences for OSMF, except possibly reputational and we have done our due diligence.
  • Risk: No contractual risk for OSMF.

Additional issue

  • Community members' behaviour on the community.osm.org thread.
    • If there is a code of conduct issue, Joost can raise it.
    • Not the board's job to police the forums.
    • We have moderators, who could step-in.

Suggestions

  • By Joost Schouppe (OSM Belgium): The OSMF board could ask for a supporting document by OKFN BE to confirm that they let OSM BE go.
    • OKFN BE have asked us to terminate their Local Chapter (LC) membership and OSMF has agreed.
  • Arnalie to share the learnings of the process after the re-application.

Other points mentioned during discussion

  • We haven't heard of any Belgians refusing to join the organisation.
  • Not clear whether there was actual misconduct or not.
  • OSM Belgium is the correct organisation for Belgian OSMers to go to.

Next step

Arnalie to suggest a board vote on the Belgian Local Chapter re-application at the next board meeting and announce it on community.osm.org.

Clarify local chapter application template and request also listing relevant info not covered by previous entries

Suggested by Mateusz Konieczny. Local chapter application template.

Mateusz has suggested to the LCCWG to update the local chapter application template and add a point for listing relevant info not covered by previous entries of the template.

Points mentioned during discussion

  • People cannot know what information OSMF might find relevant.
  • Extra work on the template might not be necessary - community consultation process is helpful.
  • The current FAQ or application page form already mentions that other documentation that can support the application can be provided.

Suggestions

  • Make clear that additional information can be added and people are not forbidden to mention anything not covered by the existing fields of the template.
  • Consult this issue with LCCWG - next LCCWG meeting on January 31 2024 at 14:00 UTC.

Membership drive for 2024

Suggested by Arnalie Vicario.

Suggestion: Send this issue to the Membership Working Group.

State of the Map Europe 2024 update

Suggested by Mateusz Konieczny.

  • OSM Poland has asked OSMF for help with contacting sponsors.
    • There was an initial reply by Dorothea.

Concerns that had been expressed regarding the event

  • Conflict of dates with the international SotM.
    • Have moved the event date to avoid conflict.
  • <redacted>

Other point mentioned during discussion

  • Local university and governance are interested in supporting the event and might offer a venue for free or with discount.

State of the Map quick license - remove nonfunctional and ignored clause

Mateusz started the process to get rid of the redundant clause: "Quality Control: You will provide samples or mock-up of flyers, posters, slide presentations, screenshots of digital correspondence when you email this licence to the OSMF."

Official announcement about https://github.com/openstreetmap/tile-attribution

Suggested by Mateusz Konieczny.

Proposed text for announcement by Mateusz at https://hackmd.io/NCTPEWgERRmOoaXOXnKcDA?both

Craig had connection issues.

  • Topic added to the agenda for all board members to look at the announcement before getting published.
  • Channels for publishing: community.osm.org (Foundation section) and talk@ mailing list.
  • People have started using the GitHub repository.

Enquiry by Craig on whether we can send a replacement image to those who are using OSMF tiles without attribution (Note: in a similar way that people who use the French tileserver and are not attributing OSM, receive - instead of tiles - an image saying that attribution to OSM is missing).

> Technically is a bit more complicated.
> Grant Slater (OSMF Senior Site Reliability Engineer) wants to run some tests.

Suggestion: Mateusz to contact the Communication Working Group (CWG) to have the announcement also posted on blog.osm.org

Potential 2024 face-to-face board meeting

Suggested by Arnalie Vicario.

Suggestions

  • Agree in principle.
  • Minimise the cost.
  • Combine the meeting with an exploratory visit, as OSMF will register in the EU.

On if there are benefits of face-to-face versus screen-to-screen meetings

  • Informal talking.
  • Getting to know the other board members.
  • Substantial difference on meeting via video and in person, based on experience.

Concern

  • Significant cost.

On timing

  • As SotMs are getting closer, there is reduced benefit to have a F2F meeting.
  • Meeting in June does not make sense, as SotM Europe 2024 is in July.
  • February, March or early April would make sense.

Other points mentioned during discussion

  • Having dedicated working time is important.
  • Former board members thought F2F meetings were excellent.
  • Karlsruhe hack-weekends were productive. (Note: regular OSM hack-weekends take place in Karlsruhe, and other places, where community members meet during the weekend and discuss/work on OSM stuff]).

UmbraOSM trademark registration issue

Enquiry via LWG.

  • Under the Licensing Working Group's remit.
  • Guillaume suggested to UmbraOSM to become a Local Chapter first.

On dates

  • January 22 is the deadline for filing an opposition.
  • January 17 is the deadline by our trademark counsel to receive instructions.
  • January 15 is the date that the Brazilian team asked us to wait until to let us know if they will withdraw their application - their board must have an emergency meeting.

On OSMF fees for opposing the trademark

  • GBP 1500 + VAT legal fee - trademark counsel.
  • USD 720 local agent and official filling fees.

Board action needed

  • Sign the "power of attorney" document that the LWG sent.

Suggestions

  • Decide to sign the "power of attorney" document that the LWG sent.
  • Try to contact the Brazilians.
    • They have been contacted.

Other points mentioned during discussion

  • UMBRAOSM are aware that we are going to oppose the trademark filling, if they don't withdraw it.
  • Need to enforce trademarks, even if people are using them in good faith.
  • Not defending the trademark in this case, makes it more difficult to defend in other cases.
  • If we could sort it in good faith, it would be better.

Next step: Guillaume to prepare the "power of attorney" document.

Any other business

Repayment of OSM Belgium loan

  • The loan has been repaid.
  • They owe OSMF a report, which is due today.
  • We owe them money - last part of sponsorship withheld by US because they need to send an invoice.
  • They seem short of administrative time.
  • No need to rush.

Paul Norman's first invoice regarding Vector Tile work

  • We are in process of paying Paul's first invoice on this project.
  • Additional effort might be necessary in sending money to Canada.
  • Guillaume suggested to Paul to create an account on Wise.

On project

  • Vector Tile project going well.
  • There was a meeting yesterday.
  • Adam Hoyle from the Engineering Working Group knows what is going on.

Next meeting

Public board meeting on Thursday 25 January 2024, 13:30 UTC

Open to OSMF members.

See the Monthly Board meetings page to find out where board meetings are announced and for a subscription link to have future board meetings automatically added to your calendar. The dates of public board meetings are also added to https://osmcal.org/

Acronyms

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