[OSM-talk] OSMF to provide commercial tile service? [WAS: something else]

[Pierre-Alain Dorange]

Richard Weait <richard at weait.com> wrote:

> [ ... ]
> > Absolutely. This may be a rather controversial opinion, but would it maybe
> > be a good idea to offer "Qt like licencing" for use of the OSM tile server?
> 
> Having the OSMF provide commercial tiles is a bad idea. It would:
> - reduce services available to the community
> - expose the project to additional risk
> - hurt the community by competing against it
> 
> Why do I think that having the OSMF provide commercial tiles is such a
> bad idea?

I agree, OSM of the Foundation are not here to make commercial from
OSM... But to make other entity (commercial or not) make more uses of
OSM data (and provide tile server for example). 
If Foundation build a commercial service it would be the opposite of
foundation goals : be a competitor over other we want to use OSM data...
 
> Providing commercial tiles is not a problem that the OSMF should try to solve.

Yes the foundation have to make this thing easy for *other* organisation
to build commercial tile servers, this is one a its goals : promote osm
not beeing a competitor...

PS : sorry for my "bad english"
-- 
Pierre-Alain Dorange
OSM experiences : <http://www.leretourdelautruche.com/map/>