- cross-posted to:
- opensource@programming.dev
- cross-posted to:
- opensource@programming.dev
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You might know of Organic Maps, the open source app that’s an alternative to Google Maps. Recently, concerns have been raised about its governance, with many contributors questioning the project’s transparency and direction.
Despite being advertised as a community-driven project, key decisions, including financial management, partnerships (with Kayak, for instance), and the inclusion of proprietary components in the code were made by a small group of shareholders, often without input from the broader contributor community.
These shareholders have reportedly used the project’s donation funds for personal expenses, like holiday trips, raising serious concerns about financial transparency.
As a result, many contributors teamed up and forked the project, establishing CoMaps, a new alternative focused on openness and being not-for-profit.
project’s donation funds for personal expenses, like holiday trips
I do have the same overall concerns though and for me enough reason to switch the moment its possible also. But I tend to see the ‘the holiday trips’ as a symtpom instead of a problem. Later on they explained that some developers received 3 months salary worth of pay over the course of 4 years. Putting a lot more time in it during those four years. If I contributed that much for free I also would spend it on a holiday. But the problem is like you said transparancy:
- No openness of financial transactions which I guess showing salary wouldnt be a problem and if everybody was able to see the salary was reasonable. (and I dont care what people do with it in their private live).
- Maybe they didnt organise it that way (paying oneself for labour and tell everyone) but maybe they used it directly for holidays etc, which is a problem for the business entity they have I guess. Like my boss paying my holiday instead of my salary.
- Reluctant to answer questions in reasonable timeframes (couple of months)
Is this ai?
This is patrick
Swayze, Stewart or from Bikini Bottom?
It’s the text from the article… How are you this dumb?
It’s not stupidity. They didn’t read the article then came to the comments and saw a strangely worded response.
Yeah, just read like ai
Good to see devs willing to do the work needed in order to draw hard lines on the capitalist leeches that divert money away from the project. I am looking forward to the traffic system that they mentioned as a future option. Would allow users that are okay with turning on those features for adding crowdsourced traffic data and stuff like marking cops posting up to get their quotas.
Literally the only thing that keeps me on Waze is that stuff. I have to deal with a lot of interstate travel to and from work and knowing that a big crash happened so I can re-route before getting stuck is crucial. I will still make sure to have this installed just like I had Organic Maps as a good option. And to see what stuff I go to that needs to be updated on OSM and StreetComplete. Had to add all of the addresses on my street on OSM a while ago just to be able to correctly enter my address. One of those addresses that is listed as one town for mailing and is technically within the borders of a smaller one with regards to utilities and plots of land.
The problem is if nobody uses it, there won’t be any data.
True, but if the option to start using it isn’t there. Then it also won’t have data to even get started. I remember when I first started using Waze back on my Galaxy S3, it wasn’t super helpful (for both the traffic and in some cases the map data). This was mostly due to it not being used by many people in my state at the time (the friend that told me about it used it in a much larger city with more “tech” people around). So even if it doesn’t help me directly right away, I am more than happy to start using it daily to report what I can.
The traffic system would be amazing. This is what is stopping me from using this.
Magic Earth
is open source andhas traffic/crowd sourced stuff like WazeEdit: Sorry guys, I don’t know why I thought Magic Earth was open source. Really looking forward to this if they get traffic data in there!
As closed source as it can get.
I haven’t heard of that one. Will look into it just to have options.
This meme format makes me sad ever since I learned that the blonde woman was outed as being severely physically abused by her husband here.
Oof. That sucks.
Time to fork the meme.
U’d love to use Osmand on a daily basis but the map renders so slow for me that it becomes hard to use. Zooming out to then wait 10+ seconds is annoying. I still use it frequently but for everyday tasks I swotched to Omaps/COmaps.
community-driven project […] shareholders
How does that work?
Socialize the cost, privatize the profits.
Will there be an alternative to StreetComplete? An Apps that lets you contribute to CoMaps instead of Organic Maps?
edit n/m. I found out that StreetComplete contributes to OpenStreetMaps.
aaaand uninstalled
What was the benefit of Organic Maps over OsmAnd or other options? I never understood why Organic Maps was getting so much traction.
OM and for now CoMaps are faster and easier to learn. For most people. With OSMand configurations are endless and people tend to get lost in them. Also the map data of OM is highly filtered OSM data. Meaning smaller files and a faster app.
The downside is less features, but as always … if you dont need the absent features … its a plus.
Now whats interesting how they both will keep it that way. My theory is when they listen to EVERY wish from random users (with other persona and user stories) they eventually become like OSMand too.
I prefer the simple interface of organic maps
Organic maps (and now comaps) have a much better rendering engine. It’s much faster, while also being much more legible. It’s routing engine is also faster.
OsmAnd does have the upper hand when it wcomes to features though. I have both and use OsmaAnd when I need to export a route to GPX or see relief.
Organic maps has traffic, osmand doesn’t. I feel osmand is better in pretty much every other situation but organic maps has traffic.
My Organic Maps doesn’t have traffic (or doesn’t for my area). I can’t see anything about it online either, except discussions about how it could be implemented.
Where do you find the traffic info? Even if zoomed in to New York I see nothing.
Where does this fall on the spectrum of Differences in Opinion - We’re Evil Now?
just migrated to Organic Maps from maps.me and would prefer to not have to export and import and adapt to new UI again
It’s the same UI, and you can easily import your Organic Maps stuff.
Installed, not seeing and noticeable difference to start but I’m glad someone took this up
Should have named it libre map.
I could not find any word of an iOS version of CoMap. Does someone know?
Organic Maps was on iOS, my guess is that it’ll take time to get a new app approved on the iOS store
Then users can pick between MAPS.me, Organic Maps and CoMaps. Crazy!!
