[OSGeo Oceania] Board response to the Elephant in the room thread from November, 2024

[Adam Steer]

G'day all.

I'm posting the board response to the sponsorship discussion [1] as text
here, to ensure that it is archived and searchable along with
discussion about it. Also this archive is hosted on OSGeo infrastructure,
hopefully less exposed to large corporation business decision risk.
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OSGeo Oceania Board’s response to the mail list regarding perceived or
potential conflict of ideals at conferences

Jan 2025

Background
-----------------
Following the FOSS4G Oceania Conference held in Hobart in November 2024,
members of the FOSS4G community voiced concerns about Esri’s presence at
the event on the Oceania mailing list [1]. Here is a summary of the
discussions.

1. Concerns About Sponsorship:
○ Several (5) community members expressed discomfort with EsriI's
sponsorship, feeling it could be a way for the company to "buy in" to the
open-source community without genuine engagement.
○ Some believe corporate sponsorship, especially from proprietary software
companies like Esri, could undermine the open-source values and dilute the
conference's purpose.
○ Examples were given of Esri resellers past actions perceived as hostile
toward open-source initiatives, such as blocking QGIS adoption in
government settings and aggressive marketing tactics.

2. Balanced Views and Inclusivity:
○ Some contributors emphasized the importance of inclusivity and the
potential for individuals within Esri to bring value and contribute
positively to the community.
○ There was acknowledgement of Esri's contributions to projects like
OpenStreetMap and significant financial support for GDAL, suggesting that
sponsorship could be beneficial if aligned with the community's values.
○ It was noted that other commercial sponsors have been welcomed before,
and it would be inconsistent to exclude Esri solely based on their
proprietary nature.

3. Clarifications on Sponsorship Intentions:
○ Organizers clarified that ESRI’s sponsorship was justified by them
internally due to the State of the Map component of our conference.
○ It was highlighted that Esri’s sponsorship did not grant them special
influence over the event's organization or content and that the keynote
speaker was invited prior to, and completely separately of the sponsorship.
○ The importance of maintaining transparency and community-driven
decision-making around sponsorship policies was emphasized.

Boards’ response
Subject: Response to Community Concerns Regarding Conference Sponsorship

We thank members of the FOSS4G community for sharing thoughts and concerns
regarding the sponsorship of our recent conference. We deeply appreciate
the passion and commitment that our community brings to maintaining the
values and integrity of the FOSS4G movement.

We recognize that (Esri's) sponsorship has sparked a variety of
perspectives, and the board would like to address the key themes raised in
this discussion. Our goal is to provide clarity on the decisions made and
outline how we move forward while staying true to our mission of promoting
open-source geospatial technology.

1. The Role of sponsorship in our community
FOSS4G Oceania is a community-driven event, and sponsorship plays a crucial
role in enabling us to host high-quality conferences, support travel
grants, and make the event accessible to a diverse audience. We are
committed to ensuring that all sponsorship agreements align with our core
values of openness, collaboration, and inclusivity, and have always asked
sponsors to participate in this way. We want to clarify that (Esri's)
sponsorship was targeted at supporting the OpenStreetMap
component of the conference. This sponsorship, like others, did not
influence the program's
content or the selection of speakers.

2. Addressing concerns about influence and community integrity
We acknowledge the concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest. Our
intention has never been to allow corporate sponsorship to overshadow the
core mission of FOSS4G or diminish the contributions of our grassroots
community. At the same time, we believe it is important to recognise
individuals and teams within organisations who genuinely engage with and
contribute to open-source initiatives. Fostering dialogue between different
software communities can open opportunities for collaboration and positive
change.

That said, we understand the community's desire to maintain a clear
distinction between support and influence. Moving forward, we will work to
refine our sponsorship policies and keynote speaker presentation policy to
ensure greater alignment with the spirit of the
conference.

3. Inclusivity and fair participation
We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone -
individuals, companies, and organisations - can contribute meaningfully to
the open geospatial community, provided they respect and uphold our
principles. We remain committed to
ensuring that sponsorship does not equate to undue influence or exclusivity.

4. Next Steps and Future Sponsorship Approach
To address these concerns and maintain transparency, the board will suggest
to the conference organising committee:
● Continue to ensure balanced representation by encouraging a diverse range
of sponsors and inviting keynote speakers who align with the values of the
open geospatial community.
● Increase communication about sponsorship details before and after the
event.
● Consider the design and trial the creation of different streams of
presentations to accommodate different types of audiences and sponsors,
while remaining focused on benefits and outcomes for the open source
community of developers and users.
● Enhance the clarity of guidelines regarding speakers’ presentations and
relations to sponsorships to ensure that sponsors align with the
open-source mission.

Closing Thoughts
We thank everyone for their thoughtful contributions to this important
discussion. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are committed to working
together to maintain the integrity, inclusivity, and openness that make
FOSS4G Oceania such a special community.

If you have further thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to reach out
to the board or participate in the future consultations and events.
Together, we can continue to build an event and a community that reflects
our shared values and aspirations, while maintaining an open and welcoming
environment to all.

Warm regards

OSGeo Oceania Board

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[1] https://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/oceania/2024-November/002926.html
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