Open Letter to Organic Maps Shareholders
https://openletter.earth/open-letter-to-organic-maps-shareholders-a0bf770c
https://openletter.earth/open-letter-to-organic-maps-shareholders-a0bf770c
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# April 25 Update
We welcome and appreciate the conflict mediation effort by the NLnet foundation (who have also provided grants to Organic Maps before).
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*There is no answer to the Letter by Alexander Borsuk @biodranik.*
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*Roman Tsisyk @rtsisyk has published his answer in team Zulip chat*, please read a copy https://git.omaps.dev/organicmaps/organicmaps/issues/10555#issuecomment-307106. He proposes to bring Organic Maps under an established non-profit umbrella organization like the Software Freedom Conservancy or Software in the Public Interest. We welcome this move as we made the same suggestion in the Letter, and we've been considering non-profit umbrellas as a "home" for a potential community fork. So we will gladly join a working group Roman has suggested to form as a first step.
================================================
*Viktor Govako @vng has posted his answer* in the Organic Maps Telegram chat (https://t.me/organicmaps/52328):
> - Roman took away my access to all key resources of Organic Maps without my consent and refused to return it back. Github blocking in March was also a result of his actions.
> - I decided that I will no longer work with Roman in any format.
> - Roman offered to buy out his share in Organic Maps OÜ so that he could leave the OM project.
> - The offer to buy out the shares was sent to Roman's lawyer three weeks ago. I have not received any clear response or counter-offer yet.
> - I had a conversation with NLNet where they offered to help in this situation. I will not refuse the idea of non-profit or some hybrid if it helps to conclude a “divorce” deal with Roman.
In addition Viktor has made some statements in the Russian-speaking OM Telegram chat, some of which we find significant (from https://t.me/OrganicMapsRu/78976 and onwards):
*"Organic Maps now is a commercial company with an open source project" and its been like that since the company's inception and from Viktor's point of view the single mention of the Organic Maps OÜ name in the organicmaps.app website footer is enough information to convey the commercial nature of the project to the contributors.*
Also Viktor has disclosed some more details about donations spending over past years (https://t.me/OrganicMapsRu/78745) and now there is an agreement both from Viktor and Roman to disclose full historic financial details to a few select community contributors. We welcome this first step towards financial transparency!
Unfortunately, Viktor's answer concerns itself with the state of his conflict with Roman but it doesn't really acknowledge or address concerns and questions raised in the Letter.
================================================
We hope that Viktor accepts a proposition to change Organic Maps to a non-profit organization and that words will turn into real actions without undue delay.
In the meantime we will continue community fork preparations, as our community deserves an actively-developed app not stalled by disagreements and uncertain negotiations. Even if/when the fork is launched it won't close the door for negotiations and cooperation, e.g. we may decide to rejoin Organic Maps if it implements compatible principles and policies eventually. Alternatively, we would be happy to accept transfers of Organic Maps assets/branding rights to the community fork.
We'll post an update on the state and details of the fork shortly as well as any new developments in negotiations.
P.S. there is a fake signatures attack on the Letter. More than 14,000 fake signatures were added in a very short time by an unknown party, all of them unverified and hence not listed. We also unfortunately have no way to edit or remove spammy/abusive signatures. As of this update there were 179 verified signatures (thank you!).
We welcome and appreciate the conflict mediation effort by the NLnet foundation (who have also provided grants to Organic Maps before).
================================================
*There is no answer to the Letter by Alexander Borsuk @biodranik.*
================================================
*Roman Tsisyk @rtsisyk has published his answer in team Zulip chat*, please read a copy https://git.omaps.dev/organicmaps/organicmaps/issues/10555#issuecomment-307106. He proposes to bring Organic Maps under an established non-profit umbrella organization like the Software Freedom Conservancy or Software in the Public Interest. We welcome this move as we made the same suggestion in the Letter, and we've been considering non-profit umbrellas as a "home" for a potential community fork. So we will gladly join a working group Roman has suggested to form as a first step.
================================================
*Viktor Govako @vng has posted his answer* in the Organic Maps Telegram chat (https://t.me/organicmaps/52328):
> - Roman took away my access to all key resources of Organic Maps without my consent and refused to return it back. Github blocking in March was also a result of his actions.
> - I decided that I will no longer work with Roman in any format.
> - Roman offered to buy out his share in Organic Maps OÜ so that he could leave the OM project.
> - The offer to buy out the shares was sent to Roman's lawyer three weeks ago. I have not received any clear response or counter-offer yet.
> - I had a conversation with NLNet where they offered to help in this situation. I will not refuse the idea of non-profit or some hybrid if it helps to conclude a “divorce” deal with Roman.
In addition Viktor has made some statements in the Russian-speaking OM Telegram chat, some of which we find significant (from https://t.me/OrganicMapsRu/78976 and onwards):
*"Organic Maps now is a commercial company with an open source project" and its been like that since the company's inception and from Viktor's point of view the single mention of the Organic Maps OÜ name in the organicmaps.app website footer is enough information to convey the commercial nature of the project to the contributors.*
Also Viktor has disclosed some more details about donations spending over past years (https://t.me/OrganicMapsRu/78745) and now there is an agreement both from Viktor and Roman to disclose full historic financial details to a few select community contributors. We welcome this first step towards financial transparency!
Unfortunately, Viktor's answer concerns itself with the state of his conflict with Roman but it doesn't really acknowledge or address concerns and questions raised in the Letter.
================================================
We hope that Viktor accepts a proposition to change Organic Maps to a non-profit organization and that words will turn into real actions without undue delay.
In the meantime we will continue community fork preparations, as our community deserves an actively-developed app not stalled by disagreements and uncertain negotiations. Even if/when the fork is launched it won't close the door for negotiations and cooperation, e.g. we may decide to rejoin Organic Maps if it implements compatible principles and policies eventually. Alternatively, we would be happy to accept transfers of Organic Maps assets/branding rights to the community fork.
We'll post an update on the state and details of the fork shortly as well as any new developments in negotiations.
P.S. there is a fake signatures attack on the Letter. More than 14,000 fake signatures were added in a very short time by an unknown party, all of them unverified and hence not listed. We also unfortunately have no way to edit or remove spammy/abusive signatures. As of this update there were 179 verified signatures (thank you!).
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Set this temporarily until name is decided, to make it easer to recognize among the groups in Telegram
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# A community-led fork of Organic Maps
Work on a community fork is progressing rapidly!
The project's core principles are Transparency, Community Decision-making, Not-for-profit & for Public Interest, Fully Open Source and Privacy-focused. Read more about the project's essence and direction at our new "home" at https://codeberg.org/comaps
The project has a strong start! And now we are focusing on building the foundation, setting up the technology, and many areas are in-progress. Work is continuing on the first release!
CoMaps is a community-driven project, here is how to get involved:
• join the development effort at https://codeberg.org/comaps/comaps (there are many things to do, even just fixing and updating the docs is an important task)
• join organizational and decisions-making activities at https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance
• spread the word!
• get in touch if you'd like to help with texts and graphics for social media promotion
• help build our website at https://codeberg.org/comaps/website (check the preview https://www.comaps.app)
• donate at https://opencollective.com/comaps/donate (all donations and spending are handled transparently by Open Collective)
================================================
There was no real progress in negotiations with Organic Maps shareholders.
It appears that Viktor is only open to a guarantee not to sell the project, however besides that he wants to retain full control of Organic Maps.
And Organic Maps future is uncertain still, as the disagreement between shareholders (Viktor and Roman) has not been resolved.
Work on a community fork is progressing rapidly!
The project's core principles are Transparency, Community Decision-making, Not-for-profit & for Public Interest, Fully Open Source and Privacy-focused. Read more about the project's essence and direction at our new "home" at https://codeberg.org/comaps
The project has a strong start! And now we are focusing on building the foundation, setting up the technology, and many areas are in-progress. Work is continuing on the first release!
CoMaps is a community-driven project, here is how to get involved:
• join the development effort at https://codeberg.org/comaps/comaps (there are many things to do, even just fixing and updating the docs is an important task)
• join organizational and decisions-making activities at https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance
• spread the word!
• get in touch if you'd like to help with texts and graphics for social media promotion
• help build our website at https://codeberg.org/comaps/website (check the preview https://www.comaps.app)
• donate at https://opencollective.com/comaps/donate (all donations and spending are handled transparently by Open Collective)
================================================
There was no real progress in negotiations with Organic Maps shareholders.
It appears that Viktor is only open to a guarantee not to sell the project, however besides that he wants to retain full control of Organic Maps.
And Organic Maps future is uncertain still, as the disagreement between shareholders (Viktor and Roman) has not been resolved.
Codeberg.org
CoMaps
A community-led fork of Organic Maps.
Reinforced with commitment to transparency, privacy and being not-for-profit.
Reinforced with commitment to transparency, privacy and being not-for-profit.
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The name for the project - CoMaps (community, collaborative, common, collective, etc.) - is provisional. We think it's a good one, but would like more people in the community to take part in choosing the final name together!
The project name voting happens at https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance/issues/34 and will conclude on May 20th.
Sign into Codeberg to vote or suggest a name. People are already signing up in Codeberg to get involved and contribute on the project (including discussing features and reporting bugs).
In the next update we'll announce the final project name!
The project name voting happens at https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance/issues/34 and will conclude on May 20th.
Sign into Codeberg to vote or suggest a name. People are already signing up in Codeberg to get involved and contribute on the project (including discussing features and reporting bugs).
In the next update we'll announce the final project name!
Codeberg.org
Vote: Project Name
## Project Name Voting
**Guidelines**
- Preference for 3 syllables max, and easy to pronounce
- Resonates with project's [essence and core principles](https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance#comaps-project-governance-docs)
- Not trademarked already or no…
**Guidelines**
- Preference for 3 syllables max, and easy to pronounce
- Resonates with project's [essence and core principles](https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance#comaps-project-governance-docs)
- Not trademarked already or no…
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We're excited to share that the community has spoken, and the name chosen for the community navigation app is... CoMaps! 🎉
The name is very popular, it received twice as many votes (92 votes) as the second choice option (44 votes), and third choice (37 votes). Thank you to everyone who participated, your enthusiasm and community collaboration are incredible!
Recap
· Goal: The aim for a name was easy pronunciation that resonated with the project's essence, and was not already trademarked
· Voting: Community members voted by adding 👍 to their favorite names and suggesting names https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance/issues/34
CoMaps stood out for its simplicity and catchiness, as well as for its perfect alignment with the mission to create a community-driven navigation app that empowers people to explore and navigate the world.
The name is very popular, it received twice as many votes (92 votes) as the second choice option (44 votes), and third choice (37 votes). Thank you to everyone who participated, your enthusiasm and community collaboration are incredible!
Recap
· Goal: The aim for a name was easy pronunciation that resonated with the project's essence, and was not already trademarked
· Voting: Community members voted by adding 👍 to their favorite names and suggesting names https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance/issues/34
CoMaps stood out for its simplicity and catchiness, as well as for its perfect alignment with the mission to create a community-driven navigation app that empowers people to explore and navigate the world.
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What's Next?
The community will select the color scheme of the project. If you are interested in collaborating to develop the color scheme, check it out!
https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance/issues/56
The community will select the color scheme of the project. If you are interested in collaborating to develop the color scheme, check it out!
https://codeberg.org/comaps/Governance/issues/56
Codeberg.org
Vote: CoMaps Color Scheme
## Color Scheme Voting
**Criteria**
- Minimum: Primary color
- Preferred: Primary color, secondary color, accent color
- Preferred+: Message colors for info/success/warning/error
**Aesthetic**
- Preference for colors found commonly in nature
- Reflects…
**Criteria**
- Minimum: Primary color
- Preferred: Primary color, secondary color, accent color
- Preferred+: Message colors for info/success/warning/error
**Aesthetic**
- Preference for colors found commonly in nature
- Reflects…
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Here is a test CoMaps
Please report any issues to https://codeberg.org/comaps/comaps/issues 🙏
The CoMaps name is final, the colors and logo are provisional.
There are some more changes besides rebranding:
- removed semi-transparent background in Subway layer
- improved auto night mode switch when there is no location fix
- replaced proprietary Google Fused Location API library with a FOSS microG implementation
- disabled Google Fused Location Service by default (enable in settings)
- removed Google Firebase dependencies from test (beta) builds
- replaced metaserver with a static servers list
- translations updates
The map data is from May 11 (same as OM). CoMaps own data will be ready in a few days.
Easy map navigation with privacy - Discover more of your journey - Powered by the community ❤️
2025.05.23-6-test build for Android! 🎉Please report any issues to https://codeberg.org/comaps/comaps/issues 🙏
The CoMaps name is final, the colors and logo are provisional.
There are some more changes besides rebranding:
- removed semi-transparent background in Subway layer
- improved auto night mode switch when there is no location fix
- replaced proprietary Google Fused Location API library with a FOSS microG implementation
- disabled Google Fused Location Service by default (enable in settings)
- removed Google Firebase dependencies from test (beta) builds
- replaced metaserver with a static servers list
- translations updates
The map data is from May 11 (same as OM). CoMaps own data will be ready in a few days.
Easy map navigation with privacy - Discover more of your journey - Powered by the community ❤️
Codeberg.org
comaps
The main code repository of the navigation app CoMaps, a community-led fork of Organic Maps.
Reinforced with commitment to transparency, privacy and being not-for-profit.
Reinforced with commitment to transparency, privacy and being not-for-profit.
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CoMaps-25052613-web-test-light.apk
50.2 MB
A new Android Test build
Changes compared to the previous test build:
- CoMaps first own map data 🎉 as of May 15
- log-in to OSM account via a web browser (a standard more secure oauth2 practice) - guarantees CoMaps doesn't touch your login/password and provides transparency to permissions requested
- change deeplinks/api scheme from
- fix sometimes incorrect/cached download map info when tapping on a not downloaded region
(also the apk includes
Codeberg issue: https://codeberg.org/comaps/comaps/issues/172
2025.05.26-13-test with CoMaps own map data! 🚀Changes compared to the previous test build:
- CoMaps first own map data 🎉 as of May 15
- log-in to OSM account via a web browser (a standard more secure oauth2 practice) - guarantees CoMaps doesn't touch your login/password and provides transparency to permissions requested
- change deeplinks/api scheme from
om:// to cm://- fix sometimes incorrect/cached download map info when tapping on a not downloaded region
(also the apk includes
arm32 devices support which was forgotten last time 😊)Codeberg issue: https://codeberg.org/comaps/comaps/issues/172
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