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# System prepended metadata

title: Takeover protections / AoA changes

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# Takeover protections / AoA changes

## Where we are still vulnerable

### Small numbers get to decide
* voting on AoA changes limited to normal members, where there are even fewer active contributors than in general membership
  * free membership is not full membership > limiting some participation

* OSMF is too small compared to OSM Project. ~1000 OSMF members can make decisions for all OSM contributors (Is OSMF too powerful?)


### Swinging elections
* Can still just buy (enough) OSMF membership  
* Sub-communities with good networking can be disproportionately effective in getting their candidates elected to the board
* different elections because of term limits -> probably easier to swing
* We have expanded our abilities to reject membership applications, but they might fly under our radar

### Other risks / the known and unknown unknown
* we haven't made a full risk analysis - what scenarios would lead to a takeover -  maybe a hostile fork is more likely
* All our money in our bank account.
* working groups are vulnerable too > not even a CoI policy?


# Steps to address vulnerabilities

### Grow out of it
* investigate how full membership can be expanded to non-paying members
* active member recruitment campaign
* Expand OSMF membership, recruitment
* Give OSMF membership automatically to all members of local chapters?


### Increase chance to detecting a take over attempt
* More eyes on membership signups with transparency (publishing user names? Member of OSMF badges?)


## constitutional measures 😊🗺🌐🔎
### Membership rules/requirements
* skin in the game membership
* Make/keep OSMF less powerful, decentralization. 
    * a stronger OSMF needs to be better protected
    * a strong OSMF is a risk to do-ocracy
    * a weak OSMF creates a power vacuum that corporations can fill
* Rules against exerting influence on employees, voting recommendations, etc.
    * suggested membership rule: “You must be able to freely vote without anyone telling you what to do”
* Membership prerequisites / "skin in the game"
* Require X existing OSMF members to “vouch” for you to join?

### other constitional
* CoI policy + basic rules of order regarding WGs
* Board composition rules?
    * “Must be a member for X before being a board candidate” _(already have)_
    * Quotas/reserved board seats for members based on how long they have been an OSMF member.
* clearer procedures on how to overrule the board - or maybe even overrule the OSMF?
* Fork-ability (provide dumps etc.)
* Cultural change: More general resolutions, which makes the current membership more used to voting & overriding the board.
* Explore "poison pill" provisions: bad things that happen if bad things happen (e.g. forced elections of entirely new board)


## Action Items
* Wait for MWG to do the community consultation on membership prerequisites
* Ask the OSMF membership to pass one general resolution in the next 6 months.
* ...