Organic Maps, a free offline maps app, faced a setback when contributor Alexandr Borsuk removed the MIT license, privatizing the repository and undermining open-source collaboration and the project’s no-tracking values. A subsequent change enabled logging, further compromising privacy, all without discussion with other contributors.
It should be noted that this is not the source code to the application itself, but rather a backend server used by the application. The application proper remains under a free software license.
However, the fact that this server (which as far as I know is a required dependency of the application) was kept secret (albeit under a free software license) is troubling, and I don’t understand how Alexander can justify removing this license given he is not the sole contributor to this repository. It’s also strange that he reprimanded Roman for “making decisions alone” when the decision to remove the license was made by Alexander alone.
Nice job setting the record straight.
Alternative for outdoor enthousiasts https://github.com/andreynovikov/trekarta
