State of the Map/Planning/External Communications

The following sets out our policies for how we communicate via public channels. All communications must respect the SOTM code of conduct, and any community guidelines. Because the international State of the Map is an OpenStreetMap Foundation event, we should also follow the "voice of the foundation" OSMF communication guidelines developed by the CWG.

Blog posts, SotM email newsletter and the website

These should be more formal communications providing facts, or promoting the event. We should avoid promoting individual talks unless they are official OpenStreetMap Foundation talks. This ensures that all speakers receive equal treatment via our major communication portals.

The main language is English but when drafting the text we should:

• Use simple language and avoid colloquialisms. Proverb's/sayings often do not translate well. Although we have no formal guidelines Basic English seems to be a good starting point.
• Aim to translate blog posts. If we share content with the Communication Working Group a week in advance then they will be able to help.

Generally it is best to work collaboratively on these forms of communication (with the exception of minor text changes to the website).

Social media

Communication on social media (including Twitter) tends to be very relaxed. We are free to post tweets in English, the official languages of the host country, and (occasionally) other languages. We are free to share links (including retweets) to comments by other individuals, including those that draw attention to particular talk, lightning talks or workshops.

Generally it is okay to just go ahead and post individually. Second opinions can be sought before you post if needed.

Other

As of yet the SotM WG has not set a policy for how we communicate in other channels (e.g. talk mailing list). If in doubt, treat as a more formal communication channel as this reduces the risk of being misunderstood.