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CoMaps shares core functionality with Organic Maps. It allows users to plan and navigate trips entirely offline. It’s entirely free to use, with no ads, and it collects no personal data. Additionally, its efficient design ensures minimal battery consumption, making it suitable for travelers seeking private, uninterrupted navigation.

What sets CoMaps apart is a fully transparent governance approach. All decisions about the app’s development are made publicly, with users and contributors having a voice in its future direction. This focus on community engagement aims to deliver value for its users rather than prioritize profit.

  • infeeeee@lemmy.zip
    8·
    14 hours ago

    The full story is in the Open Letter, but it’s long: https://openletter.earth/open-letter-to-organic-maps-shareholders-a0bf770c

    AI summary from this comment from the osm forum:

    Concrete Issues Leading to the Open Letter

    • Misuse of Donations: Alexander Borsuk allegedly used project donations to cover personal holiday expenses, raising concerns about financial integrity.
    • Lack of Financial Transparency: Contributors were consistently denied access to financial information, including total donations received and expenditures.
    • Secret Hiring Practices: The hiring of the first full-time developer in January 2024 was kept secret from contributors, who only learned about it months later.
    • Closed Decision-Making: Key project decisions, such as agreements with external partners (e.g., Kayak.com), were made without informing or consulting contributors.
    • Shareholder Control: The governance structure allowed shareholders to make unilateral decisions, sidelining the input of long-term contributors.
    • Conflict Among Shareholders: A significant conflict between shareholders Roman Tsisyk and Alexander Borsuk has led to a breakdown in collaboration, jeopardizing project stability.
    • Lack of Accountability: The board, composed solely of shareholders, failed to rotate members or ensure accountability, leading to a stagnant governance model.
    • Potential for Profit Motives: Contributors expressed concerns that the project could be sold or monetized for shareholder profit, undermining its community-driven mission.
    • Inadequate Communication: Shareholders did not adequately communicate the role of Organic Maps OÜ as a for-profit entity, leaving contributors unaware of its implications.
    • Violation of Open Source Values: While the maps generator code is technically available, the version in production contains private changes that are not disclosed, and the server used for downloading maps operates with proprietary elements, contradicting the project’s stated commitment to Free and Open Source Software principles.