this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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I'm contributing to openstreetmap because I think there should be a free alternative to Google or Apple maps.
Am I running the risk of having my contributions stolen?
OSM is run by a foundation - https://www.openstreetmap.org/about
This makes it a lot more difficult to cock it up compared to a shareholder run company.
Thanks. I'll continue my small contributions then.
If anyone want to help I can recommend StreetComplete. It's a bit like pokemon go, but you'll help improve the map of the world instead. Only in android now I think.
OSM is good people and very much within the FOSS ethos as far as I can tell. Their Humanitarian work is just awesome: https://www.hotosm.org/
Downloading now
Oh I should do that, I'm often in new builds and redevelopments, I'd think that's where it's needed most?
I think it's needed everywhere. I can start it wherever I happen to be and find a lot of "quests/tasks" to complete.
Thanks yeah I've downloded it and there are loads of little quests, I'll give it a try
Open source is a safe bet since anyone can make a new fork(Spin-off) of the original if it went down a direction you didn't like or just wanted to make a version with your preferred features. So openstreetmap is the current safest option since it has an Open Database License.
Here's the summary for the wikipedia article you mentioned in your comment:
The Open Database License (ODbL) is a copyleft license agreement intended to allow users to freely share, modify, and use a database while maintaining this same freedom for others.ODbL is published by Open Data Commons, which is part of Open Knowledge Foundation.The ODbL was created with the goal of allowing users to share their data freely without worrying about problems relating to copyright or ownership. It allows users to freely use the data in the database, including in other databases; edit existing data in the database; and add new data to the database. The license establishes the rights of users of the database, as well as the correct procedure for attributing credit where credit is due for the data, and how to make changes or improvements in the data, thus simplifying the sharing and comparison of data.^article^ ^|^ ^about^
Not really , they use the Open Data Commons Open Database License which means it can be used commercial but they have to release changes under the same license.
Mapbox sells your work for a profit.
OSM is the best kind of Open Source.
It CAN be used in commercial products, but any contributions to OSM from those commercial enterprises is still open, so you end up with commercial users contributing to the open system.
I'm in charge of GIS for a city that uses and contributes to OSM and QGIS.
I don't think so. But people who donated to Mapilary found out it now belongs to Facebook
Is KartaView better in this respect?
I honestly don't know. It's open and quite transparent but who knows when will they sell out. I think "Not Facebook" is their best feature
Apple Maps is in part based on openstreetmap https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Apple