The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) is in election mode. I hope to become a member pending approval and am proposing to join the board. More on that in a bit.
What is HOT and Why is it so important to the Digital Humanitarian Ecosystem
HOT grew with the need to recognize emergency and crisis mapping. Over the past almost 3 years, I’ve watched the team grow, I’ve worked on projects that benefited from HOT contributions and I’ve been continuously amazing by their talent and strengths.
More about HOT
Become HOT
The process: You need to be nominated to be a HOT team member. (This window is closed now)
Current Membership
You can still join the mailing list and contribute.
Their HOT Tasking tool is one of the best micro-tasking tools I’ve seen in digital volunteering. You can get started here.
HOT Board
In the coming week, HOT members will be voting for a new Board.
I am proposing to join the HOT Board pending acceptance as a HOT member.
Here are some of the things I can offer
1. Fundraising, Outreach and Storytelling skills.
2. Advocacy: While I may not be an active OSM contributor, but I am a big advocate of HOT and OSM in most of the work and volunteering I do.
3. Mapping organizations like Ushahidi need OSM to have the free imagery just as much as OSM wants it. I would essentially be an end-user in your corner.
In my job at Ushahidi, we changed our base map to OSM this year. When I talk with deployers, especially those working in crisis or conflict areas, they advise that they can’t use OSM as a base layer because the map is empty. One most recent example was planning for the .ke Elections in 2013. I want to join the HOT team and be an active more formal supporter to fill this gap. There has got to be ways to get imagery and to match the HOT team to these citizen science mappers. The map should not be a deterrent but a benefit in their journey to share stories of what they see and what they hear.
Thank you
