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

[Nop]

Hi!

SteveC schrieb:
>> I guess a good strategy would have been:
>>
>> 1. Provide some background information and keep it current
>> - the problems with the current licence
>> - the intention of the new licence
>> - the current state of the process
>> - and later the wording of the licence
> 
> Perhaps you could put that together?

Would have been the job of OSMF in a more diplomatic process.

> 
>> 2. Provide translations of this in the major languages. Most people
>> speak English to some degree, but some don't and something of this
>> importance and with so much legalese involved does need to be in your
>> native language to be sure you understood it. Keep translations current,
>> also.
> 
> That would be great, when will you start organising them?

Would have been the job of OSMF in a more diplomatic process.

It seems you didn't get my point. A convincing attempt at informing the 
community would have had to be organized by the OSMF, not by volunteers 
stepping in to fix parts of a bungled job.

> 
>> 3. Define a way for feedback from the community. Maybe some unoffical
>> votes would have given an impression on how well a particular idea would
>> have worked.
> 
> Yeah I think that's usually a great idea but I get the sense the vast 
> majority of the community are apathetic or bored by the tone of these 
> exchanges and so the ones who vote are the ones who really take extreme 
> views. So it's hard to do it in a way that we get a real sense of the 
> lay of the land. Unless you have some ideas?

There are extreme views in any direction and everybody has one vote. 
They will still give you and idea. A better one than a page of use cases 
nobody knows about.

>> 4. Mail an announcement to every member of OSM when you start and when
>> there is significant progress, linking the information pages. One every
>> few months would have been enough. This would have given those people
>> who are interested a chance to get informed and either get involved or
>> be satisfied with what they read. Most people would ignore those mails
>> but feel informed rather than surprised.
> 
> Something similar I thought about was having an OSM 'buddy program' so 
> when you join you are assigned an existing community member who helps 
> you though the process of mapping and getting to know the community and 
> tools.

I am talking about an organized information process on the licence change.

> 
>> 5. Give people plenty of time to react.
>>
>>
>> Actually I am worried. You may have noticed that there are many
>> complaints, and also hostile reactions and suspicions voiced. And I bet
>> you that still most OSM members have no idea that anything is going on,
>> because they do mapping and not mailing lists. You have only seen the
>> peak of the iceberg. But that still gives the foundation the chance to
>> get something right. I am in favor of the new licence. But I don't
>> believe it can be done by April. The only thing that can be achieved by
>> April is splitting or breaking OSM apart.
> 
> Your worry is well placed, however I disagree that the vitriol here on 
> these lists is widely held by the majority of the people who have mapped.

Well, wait and see how many people will rather remove their data or 
switch to a fork just because they feel surprised and pressured.

I can assure you that there is plenty of vitiriol in store for you on 
the German forum for example that just doesn't make it here yet due to 
the language barrier.


bye
	Nop