[OSM-legal-talk] decision removing data

[Ian Sergeant]

Frederik Ramm <frederik at remote.org> wrote:

> I'll completely replace it with the PD PGS shoreline if anyone ever
> again says "we cannot do X because of the imported Australian shoreline".

As someone who remembers distinctly the vitriolic responses to anybody who
questioned the benefit of the AND data import and the public statements of
the scale of the achievement of having such a large amount of data released
under an open licence, I feel like I've moved into an alternate universe
where such "anti-import" sentiments can pass without equivalent comments
being made..

I know there are many, myself included, who see OSM as a project primarily
driven by survey.  But like it or not, getting corporations and governments
to release their data under open licences has been one of the de-facto
missions of the project since the early days, and its success deserves
recognition as well.  The release of such significant datasets as have been
released by Australian government departments under an open licence
shouldn't now be discounted, and I would hope (and I remain confident that)
the effect of losing this data will be quantified and taken into account by
everyone taking part in the decision making process.

Ian.