As an OpenStreetMap contributor I'm worried about the future of OpenStreetMap. The OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) doesn't seem to stimulate or direct innovation. In fact, most innovations are done in apps like OsmAnd and OrganicMaps, and by individuals or small groups experimenting with one-off projects and demos or localised initiatives. There is little to no overarching development, and the main website (openstreetmap.org) while providing a good and mostly up-to-date map, is showing its age — including numerous bugs in the main style that won't be fixed because the handful of volunteer maintainers of that style can effectively block broadly adopted features if they don't like them, and the OSMF has no real recourse on handling that situation.
I really hope the hard work put in by the OpenStreetMap mappers won't be for naught. Local mappers are a boon to maps like these, and in places where local mappers are on the ball OpenStreetMap is as accurate as you can reasonably get.
1: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2022/12/15/tomtom-werkt-samen-micr... (Dutch)
Microsoft has already proven this model with their investment in Git - git works today in large part because MS refocused their TFS team into oss git, long before the GitHub acquisition.
Agreed about the seemingly rudderless direction of OSM. Hopefully there will be some transition path between the two.
