[OSM-talk] License/CT issues: Let's not punish the world's disadvantaged, pls.

[David Murn]

On Wed, 2011-06-22 at 21:17 +0200, Frederik Ramm wrote:

> I wonder what would happen if someone involved in running Google Map 
> Maker were to post a similar message. "Hey, don't like how things go in 
> OSM? Why not come to Google Map Maker where all license issues are solved!"

Except that

a) Map Maker never had any compatability with any version of OSM
b) Users who used OSM for the past few years dont necessarily want
licence issues 'solved' (especially if the only difference they see is a
degraded map)
c) fosm isnt a wholey different project in the same way MapMaker is.
fosm is a copy of OSM, and the two will parallel each other until the
time that OSM splits off with a new licence change.  If you think of
fosm as the continuation and OSM as the fork with 'all licence issues
solved', youre more on-track to the situation

The day after the changeover occurs, the world will look at OSM and fosm
and theyll see one is a small subset of the other, until the time that
the main OSM project can come close to making up for the data that has
had to be removed.  Joe user (especially Joe user who might use map
maker) doesnt give a rats about licence terms, all they care about is
seeing complete maps.

David