[Osmf-talk] A Modest Proposal - OSM(F) should **NOT** adopt a copyright/database licence

[Arun Ganesh]

Or replies to the wrong thread ;)

On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 1:29 AM, Arun Ganesh <arun.planemad at gmail.com> wrote:

> One of the most friendly digital communities I have had the pleasure to
> interact with is the CCC. Even if they had a CoC, it does not seem like
> many know of it, but often have mentioned one guiding principle: "Be
> excellent to each other"
>
> Even if we were to go by such a simple idea, there would be so many
> messages and remarks on the OSM mailing lists and changeset discussions
> that would fall far short of us being excellent to each other. It is often
> made to feel that those mapping communities that use Facebook and Slack for
> communication, or those who engage in organized mapping are somehow not
> part of the "real" community. In such a situation, the hope to build a more
> global resilient network is already lost.
>
> I feel a CoC will make all of us a little more aware of how we are
> actually building a diverse community, and empowers each one of us to be
> excellent to each other even if we don't have a single edit on the map.
>
> On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 12:55 AM, Rory McCann <rory at technomancy.org> wrote:
>
>> All this discussion of code of conducts has highlighted an important
>> topic, about rules, about norms and restrictions. And I have a modest
>> proposal for preventing the copyright from being a burden on OSM, and
>> for making OSM beneficial to the publick.
>>
>> It's high time we got rid of these rules. They only stifle free speech,
>> and cause endless problems for users. they are vague, They only restrict
>> what people do, and which has never been used.
>>
>> I'm talking, of course, of the ODbL! We don't need a copyright/database
>> licence! Even the name (intellectual property) sounds scary to me! How
>> can you own that! Any copyright licence will make people more or less
>> auto censure. They'll be afraid to publish software, or new data.
>> Copyright/database licences are fine for some things, but surely a
>> culturally, and globally diverse community like us can never find a
>> common licence which will suit everyone, which will apply everywhere.
>>
>> I don't think there's been a single court case where the ODbL (or old
>> CC-BY-SA licence) was used or needed.
>>
>> I would see any "intellectual property trial" as some sort of modern day
>> inquisition, with high prices to enter, with old stuffy men in funny
>> robes and wigs making obscure decisions under the threat of imprisonment
>> or theft!
>>
>> Some will think I am suggesting a "public domain"/CC0 licence, but
>> that's still accepting copyright law! It's time we threw it out!
>>
>> The only winning move is to not play!
>>
>> We just don't need it! To the dustbin of history with it all! No CoCs!
>> No Licences!
>>
>> --
>>
>> Dr. Rory Swift
>>
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>>
>
>
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