BoF session for State of the Map 2021:
Paid-editing or Paid-mapping: Reflections from local communities and contributors

Date/Time: 11 July, Sunday, 13:00 UTC

Venue: Breakout Room 1 (at SotM Conference Platform)
- you will need a conference ticket to participate and access the venue

Duration: 1 hour

Description:
Increasing Local Knowledge on the Map - Is OSM just crowdsourcing or is also #crowdworking? Paid-editing/paid mapping is a controversial issue concerning Big Corporations taking over OSM, but can we talk about how paid-editing/paid mapping can enrich local knowledge on the Map?

Organizers/moderators: Geoffrey & Mikko 
(Arnalie to support)

Session Structure/flow:

A. 5mins Welcome and Intro 
(c/o Geoff/Mikko)

B. 5-10mins Presentation on what is paidmapping, crowdworking 
(c/o Willy)
- David has a message that Arnalie will read

Notes: Willy presenting Position  (Map4Cash!)
- something accessible online, web-platform for gamification
- idea is to see how we can engage the community -  how to bring them on the map and them contributing on the map
- when you sign in, you can create a new point and add your business (eg name, opening hours, etc)
- also have statistics and company connecting
- we wanted to launch it in January 2022
- Any feedback? 

Questions: Michael -  Is the platform more a business information system that uses OSM as a main feature, or it would pay mappers for editing
Answer: Willy - mainly a business platform. 

Question: Michael: Yes the second one, is more a discussion point: gamification and crowdworking have the tendency to privilege quantity over quality. But as it is not a platform that pays mappers I think the point is not raised here. I do agree by the way, your proposal is interesting
Willy: Analysing stat, you get points (eg cash) when they add a POI and more when they add more details, photos, etc. 

Question: Nathalie: Does companies which has been mapped that will pay mappers or what ? If yes, should we partnership with companies first before mappers start mapping them

Notes: Geoff reads David's message

Geoff: one thing strikes is that paid mapping is stigmatized
Pascalina:  Very interesting issues raised by David
Laura:Very good points that are relatable as well!

C. 3mins recap of related panel discussions: Feedback of OSM Communities in the South and Paid-Editing, Open Datasets, and AI-Mapping Tools: A Panel Discussion with Corporations Active in OpenStreetMap (10 July, 20:00 UTC) : https://2021.stateofthemap.org/sessions/MDD8PE/
c/o Arnalie, or anyone who will attend this Session and wants to give a brief recap?

D. 35mins Open Forum/Reflection about the topic 
(c/o participants; moderated by Geoff/Mikko)

Notes:

Nathalie: My POV, it's necessary to pay mappers when it is possible (eg when there is project funding). But if it's another task for the community, eg helping map in another country, we are free to pay or not pay mappers. Students do not have money to pay for transport or internet connection, so we should help them
Geoffrey: You raised an important point, there's 2 types of companies: 1 is big companies who need quality data and does remote mapping; 2 is projects that engage with community. How can we make sure that they engage with community?
Willy: The situation is very simple, 2 systems: companies and non-profit. Even non-profit can have business model. The benefit is for NGO locally. I think we are afraid that people will come only for money. But we should not force anyone according to the place where you are. Respect good relations
Michael: I think in the OSM community there is fear of overtaking from big companies on local communities with paid editing. In my opinion, as Nathalie says, if the community is able to keep control on community dynamics, data control over the country, and to dedicate some mappers for a paid project, everything should work fine
Nathalie: Government is also sector. Working with them and partner with them
Geoffrey: Non-profit means no one directly benefits, but when we get funds, we also give it back to the community eg providing working space, wifi and transportation costs for community members when we conduct activities. We are also applying for OSMF Chapter and our application is put up in community discussion. How do you find the middle ground to being paid locallyand project globally.
Arnalie: I hope when they quantify corporate mapping/paid editing, we can insert to the equation corporate mappers who are also "local" to the area they are mapping/being paid for
Geoffrey: How much of this paid mapping are done by people who are living in the area? Corporate should invest in the community to train them
WILLY:Another point also  is the governance of the organization...if you wan to do business create a compagny... if you want a social project be transparent in your NGO... it's also a matter of experience on managing NGO, and also a mindset to respect or not regulations and laws of you NGO. the problem is not money but what you do with the money according to your position...
Claire: So far we haven't had any big corp' ready to hire mappers or financially support local mappers in the DRC, while they pay mappers elsewhere (in Northern countries). Are there people here who have seen a different situation in their country?
Willy: The first stage of mapping is investment, then another is keeping the data updated 
Laura Mugeha: Very true Arnalie, for most of corporate mapping projects in Africa I only see companies notifying communities of their mapping activities and requesting for feedback but with no meaningful engagement with communities in the mapping process etc.
Shamilah: Totally right Laura, noticed that too
Geoff: 2 things: will of companies and how organized local community is
Pascalina: Perfectly said Laura!
WILLY: capcity development is key
Claire: Thanks for the feedback, already done that but didn't really work.
WILLY: we need to have good an strong skill
Claire:New partnership shapes are needed indeed
Michael Montani: Community empowerment 

E. 7mins Wrap up / Action items /Summary 
(c/o Geoff/Mikko)
 
Geoff: there is no direct engagement in the community 
Willy: We need to connect to empower communities, key is capacity development
Yes Geofray the risk is that we consume the foreign service. we need  local services
 __________________________________
 Message from David:
 Mapping is Labour

by mapmakerdavid
11 July 2021

Kamusta and kia ora! Thanks so much for the chance to contribute to our discussions on our work as OSM volunteers.

My first point is that we need to continue to recognise that mapping is not just about representing, modelling, or visualising the world. Mapmaking, like OSM, is labour. Geospatial data is not made by magic fairies. We know that as OSM contributors, through the labour of editing, for example. 

Second is that we need to revisit what we recognise as geospatial labour. At the end of the day, Geographic Information Systems like OSM are sociotechnical by nature. It is not just the editing or tagging that we should regard as the important work that makes OSM possible. As other volunteers know, many kinds of work are needed to maintain, improve, and grow the simultaneously social and technical relationships behind the making of a map. In crowdsourcing, one needs to get the attention of the crowd, and that attention comes from relationships, which take a lot of work. It’s not just about traces and tags.

Third, because of inequalities and problematic systems deeply tied to colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism, racism, etc., there are folks who must put in more resources relative to their means of living compared to others, for example. Despite technological advances, there are still many barriers to access and also privileges that not all mapmakers everywhere enjoy. In addition, just having the technology like a laptop and internet connection is not enough. There are places where it is dangerous to be a mapmaker, and there are mapmakers whose responsibilities to their communities go beyond cartography. And work is also required to nourish those relationships that support the mapping and the production of geographical knowledge. Lucky you if all you need is a mouse and a wifi to map, but not everyone is like that.

Related to the third point is the extra labour for structurally and historically marginalised folks to be understood in OSM and to make sure that the space is safe for our participation, e.g. opposing racism and sexism. Most of world systems in today’s capitalism are built with Western systems at the core, and a lot of labour goes into fixing that big issue. This labour is political in nature, too, and is necessary for a more equitable word. And let us remember that mapmaking is an inherently political act. Sociologists like Raffestin say that it is labour that makes geographical knowledge and its power possible. Geographers like Pavolvskaya emphasise that the bodies who do the mapmaker are important, and from the power of our bodies comes the maps and mapping. The production of spatial information is about space, knowledge, and power. The ideals behind OpenStreetMap are political: to democratise mapmaking. So before anyone says that our opposition and labour against processes like racism and sexism shouldn’t be done because we shouldn’t be political, I say why are you in OSM, an inherently political project?

You could see this labour perspective from  the solidarities that mapmakers offer each other, e.g. in the Ministry of Mapping collective in the Philippines in 2020 and the Mapbox Workers’ Union recently.

Finally, this view on equitable mapping is what I would like to contribute to the discussion as something that we should all remember when discussing payments for labour. There are many long-time contributors who have done so much for the global OSM community beyond the salaries and grants they received as support. It is time that we remove that stigma on paid work, especially those done by mapmakers from systemically marginalised communities. When work is paid, we can increase the power of the community who makes mapping possible. Geospatial workers of the world, unite and enjoy! :)


_____________

Attendance:
Geoffrey
Willy
Arnalie 
Michael
Nathalie
Laura
Tuuka
Ailura
Pascalina
Shammi
Sharon
Sussane
Paul
Claire
Erika
Jo
Benson