[Osmf-talk] exit

[Oleksiy Muzalyev]

The HERE <https://maps.here.com/> map was sold for 2.8 billion USD [1]. 
I made couple of edits at the HERE map. I may be wrong, but my personal 
impression was that it is kind of dorky. I would estimate that the value 
of the OSM map now is probably much more than 10 billion USD.

It happened before, a successful open source project was sold to a 
commercial entity lock, stock, and barrel. For example, MySQL. When so 
much money is involved, it is practically impossible to withstand a 
hostile takeover. It could be shills, manipulated public opinion, etc. 
Here are articles already explaining that an open source project is 
better off under a commercial company [2].

In my opinion, such people as Jimmy Wales, who are capable to generate 
original ideas, who have a reputation, are not completely obsolete yet. 
He is experimenting with financing too, but he will not commit at least 
high treason. There is a lot of criticism for "donate" banners, that 
Wikimedia allegedly is asking money which it does not need, etc., but 
Mr. Wales does not quit because of it. So sticking around is the right 
thing to do for the project.

[1] http://fortune.com/2015/09/02/nokia-maps-ftc/ 
<http://fortune.com/2015/09/02/nokia-maps-ftc/>
[2] 
http://www.zdnet.com/article/mysql-why-the-open-source-database-is-better-off-under-oracle/
http://www.iheavy.com/2013/11/25/oracle-wont-kill-mysql/

brgds
O.

On 06.01.2016 7:26, Steve Coast wrote:
> ... I really think you guys should look around and think a bit harder if you’re concerned about money and OSM.  ... than be The Guy like perhaps Jimmy Wales ... I’m going to stick around and do OSM things, I’m not dissapearing, and I’m here if my time is useful to the project.
>
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