[OSM-talk] OSM license change: A license to kill? -> How to make a nightmare come true!

[Ulf Lamping]

Hi!

I'm not sure you're aware, but you're currently on the best way to make 
the "license to kill" phrase come true!


First of all: If you're not aware, it's all about trust. When I first 
uploaded data to OSM, I made sure about the license - so my effort 
wasn't only commercially consumed. This level of trust was not build on 
any person known or the (at that time) not existing OSMF, but in the 
text of the CC-by-SA license.


So let's get some facts straight!

You want a license change for the OSM data. Fine, because there are some 
real troubles with the license.


However, the OSM mappers have done their part of the job to make the 
vision of OSM all come true. THEY have provided the real life in it - 
the data. Not only you or me itself, and not the lawyers involved.

So if YOU want to change something it's YOUR duty to convince the mappers!

Simply saying "we're the OSMF board and we know what's good for you" is 
a very, very bad idea to build trust! Remember: We're not talking about 
a bot run to fix some tags, we're talking about the legal property of 
the people involved!

Hopefully obvious, it's a much better idea to convince people than to 
force them to a "yes" / "no" decision.


Hopefully you know and trust the lawyers, foundation, whoever, ... 
involved. WE PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THEM SO WHY SHOULD WE MAGICALLY TRUST 
THEM?!?

There were NO!!! introduction of the players involved, no ideas how to 
build trust in the community ... (e.g. what's the relation to the OSI 
initiative?).


All in all, I must say that the current way of handling these things in 
this VERY SENSITIVE AREA is nothing but ridiculous!


Regards, ULFL

P.S: Steve's recent mail were not providing any new information except 
that laywers are expensive (BTW: I'm not in a hurry about a new license) ...