Yet, as makers or hackers, some of us despise the companies that attempt to profit from selling I.P. We expect that all components of software be free for us to tinker with and repurpose.
Why should we trust Google with this data? Why should we supply google with this data when open alternatives exist? Will their incentives in using this data always be aligned with ours? You don't have to despise Google or want all things to be totally open to ask these questions. You don't have to be hostile to IP or companies selling IP to decide it is more in your interest to contribute to an open project.
I'd rather contribute data to an open project and watch a thousand mapping projects bloom (including Google's) based on that data, than help a corporation like Google or Apple take over every corner of our digital lives. OSM has led to a lot of great mapping services based on their data, and no-one resents those.
It'd be wonderful to see a similar open web search project based on open data too.
Being both entrepreneurs and makers, we should be a little more realistic about our relationship with IP. You can't always have your cake and eat it, too.
Why should we trust Google with this data? Why should we supply google with this data when open alternatives exist? Will their incentives in using this data always be aligned with ours? You don't have to despise Google or want all things to be totally open to ask these questions. You don't have to be hostile to IP or companies selling IP to decide it is more in your interest to contribute to an open project.
I'd rather contribute data to an open project and watch a thousand mapping projects bloom (including Google's) based on that data, than help a corporation like Google or Apple take over every corner of our digital lives. OSM has led to a lot of great mapping services based on their data, and no-one resents those.
It'd be wonderful to see a similar open web search project based on open data too.
Being both entrepreneurs and makers, we should be a little more realistic about our relationship with IP. You can't always have your cake and eat it, too.
With large corporations, the cake is a lie.