this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2025
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CoMaps
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Cooperative community open-source fork of Organic Maps, an offline privacy-respecting not-for-profit OpenStreetMap GPS app for your phone.
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Looks like it's some Organic Maps / Maps.me fork: https://www.comaps.app/news/2025-05-29/ITs-FOSS-NEWS--Organic-Maps-Forked-Over-Governance-Concerns-CoMaps-is-Born/
I think the key issue was lack of transparency around donations from the OrganicMaps owners. Article summary: https://www.comaps.app/news/2025-05-29/ITs-FOSS-NEWS--Organic-Maps-Forked-Over-Governance-Concerns-CoMaps-is-Born/ The open letter that startet CoMaps: https://openletter.earth/open-letter-to-organic-maps-shareholders-a0bf770c
The Organic Maps project was described as community-driven, but shareholders were making a number of decisions without the community's input, and even without the community being aware that decisions are being made. While the use of donations is concerning, it wasn't the main problem. When people contribute their time and money to the project so that it can be for the entire community, but it turns out the shareholders are open to selling the contributors' work for their own profit - that becomes problematic. After Maps.me was sold, it added paid subscriptions and a crypto wallet, which destroyed the entire experience. And it appears Organic Maps risks the same problem.