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I'm really glad that projects like this exist. I note that they site privacy as their #1 advantage: * Respects your privacy * Saves your battery * No

I'm really glad that projects like this exist. I note that they site privacy as their #1 advantage: * Respects your privacy * Saves your battery * No unexpected mobile data charges In my opinion, people have given up caring about privacy and expect to receive an inferior experience from products that proclaim this. Therefore, again imo, products that focus on privacy and such will remain niche. I suspect that the world is ready for paid services that provide a better Ux. I am thinking about how Netflix supposedly put a dent in piracy. People were willing to pay for content with a better Ux. Aside from saving battery and no surprised mobile data charges, the list many other benefits: * No ads * No annoying registration * No mandatory tutorials * No noisy email spam * No push notifications * No crapware I wonder if a project could charge a small monthly fee if they focused on these user benefits that everyone cares about, and partially use that money to support OSM and partially use the money to support themselves?

habibur 5y ago
That's what the "Donate to support" links are for I guess. But this no-ad is hugely under-rated. The web overall is not worse place simply because of overflow of ads. And Google or big players can't do anything about it they that's their main income source. We need a LetsEncrypt styled disruption here. The field is ripe. Waiting for some player.
- kyawzazaw 5y ago
  I have started using Neeva
- rickspencer3 5y ago
  right, but I'm talking full on paid, like Neeva. Such services can offer personalization because they can support themselves without selling your data. If you trust them to keep their word, they can use your usage history and data only for your own benefit.
  - wombat-man 5y ago
    Yeah, I'm ready to pay for an excellent maps experience
pja 5y ago
OSMAnd+ plus does exactly that. OrganicMaps looks like it might have a better UI though.
- teekert 5y ago
  OSMAnd plus is only free on F-Droid, on an iOS device it's pretty expensive or limited.
  - CaptainZapp 5y ago
    The full version for Android was about 12 bucks. The major difference, at least to my understanding, is the unlimited download of maps. For me that's the killer argument and absolutely worth the price. I think it really speaks for the developers to make it available for free to F-Droid users and personally I think it's a low price for a - for me - great app.
    - teekert 5y ago
      Yeah, I guess you are right, you get a lot for those 12 euros (or whatever it is, I can't really find it, but I remember a screen with costs for extra maps, altitude data, etc). Edit: Ah found it, unlimited maps are 12.99 eur once, OsmAnd Live (Wikipedia offline integration and Altitude lines and shades) are 7.99 euros a year. This is all free on F-Droid.
      - maxerickson 5y ago
        It's free on F-Droid because they haven't bothered to implement technical countermeasures to unpaid downloads. The app developers are still updating that content and providing the bandwidth.
        pja 5y ago
        The Play Store fees are effectively voluntary donations to the devs & the OpenStreetMap project. If you really want to pay nothing, they’re not going to stop you - F-Droid is right there.
indigochill 5y ago
> People were willing to pay for content with a better Ux. If I may run with this in an irrelevant tangent for a moment, I actually feel like Netflix's UX (on their PC client) is worse (in some ways) than pirate streaming sites I've seen. The main pain point for me is that Netflix tries to optimize for engagement and in so doing, conceals a massive back catalogue of things I'll never see they have unless I try to go looking for them. By contrast, some easily found pirate streaming sites simply have a running list of whatever new content they've acquired regardless of popularity/advertising budget/etc. When I just want to watch _something_, seeing new stuff pretty much constantly is actually a bonus even if it's not always as polished as the top stuff that sticks to the top of Netflix's recommendations for months at a time. Also, pirate sites benefit from not observing the publisher-enforced balkanization of content across Netflix/Amazon/HBO/etc. Of course, piracy's still illegal, but my point is I think at least for a certain segment of their potential market, Netflix's UX still has room for improvement.
- collaborative 5y ago
  Spot on. Same goes for Steam/etc vs pirate game content sites. Random/latest lists are great
- guessbest 5y ago
  Why don't piracy sites share more BLM content, BIPOC, and promote causes such as universal basic income? Seems like it would be something the users would really want.
wolverine876 5y ago
> In my opinion, people have given up caring about privacy and expect to receive an inferior experience from products that proclaim this. Such as Apple products?

habibur 5y ago

That's what the "Donate to support" links are for I guess. But this no-ad is hugely under-rated. The web overall is not worse place simply because of overflow of ads. And Google or big players can't do anything about it they that's their main income source. We need a LetsEncrypt styled disruption here. The field is ripe. Waiting for some player.

kyawzazaw 5y ago
I have started using Neeva
rickspencer3 5y ago
right, but I'm talking full on paid, like Neeva. Such services can offer personalization because they can support themselves without selling your data. If you trust them to keep their word, they can use your usage history and data only for your own benefit.
- wombat-man 5y ago
  Yeah, I'm ready to pay for an excellent maps experience

pja 5y ago

OSMAnd+ plus does exactly that. OrganicMaps looks like it might have a better UI though.

teekert 5y ago
OSMAnd plus is only free on F-Droid, on an iOS device it's pretty expensive or limited.
- CaptainZapp 5y ago
  The full version for Android was about 12 bucks. The major difference, at least to my understanding, is the unlimited download of maps. For me that's the killer argument and absolutely worth the price. I think it really speaks for the developers to make it available for free to F-Droid users and personally I think it's a low price for a - for me - great app.
  - teekert 5y ago
    Yeah, I guess you are right, you get a lot for those 12 euros (or whatever it is, I can't really find it, but I remember a screen with costs for extra maps, altitude data, etc). Edit: Ah found it, unlimited maps are 12.99 eur once, OsmAnd Live (Wikipedia offline integration and Altitude lines and shades) are 7.99 euros a year. This is all free on F-Droid.
    - maxerickson 5y ago
      It's free on F-Droid because they haven't bothered to implement technical countermeasures to unpaid downloads. The app developers are still updating that content and providing the bandwidth.
      - pja 5y ago
        The Play Store fees are effectively voluntary donations to the devs & the OpenStreetMap project. If you really want to pay nothing, they’re not going to stop you - F-Droid is right there.

indigochill 5y ago

> People were willing to pay for content with a better Ux. If I may run with this in an irrelevant tangent for a moment, I actually feel like Netflix's UX (on their PC client) is worse (in some ways) than pirate streaming sites I've seen. The main pain point for me is that Netflix tries to optimize for engagement and in so doing, conceals a massive back catalogue of things I'll never see they have unless I try to go looking for them. By contrast, some easily found pirate streaming sites simply have a running list of whatever new content they've acquired regardless of popularity/advertising budget/etc. When I just want to watch _something_, seeing new stuff pretty much constantly is actually a bonus even if it's not always as polished as the top stuff that sticks to the top of Netflix's recommendations for months at a time. Also, pirate sites benefit from not observing the publisher-enforced balkanization of content across Netflix/Amazon/HBO/etc. Of course, piracy's still illegal, but my point is I think at least for a certain segment of their potential market, Netflix's UX still has room for improvement.

collaborative 5y ago
Spot on. Same goes for Steam/etc vs pirate game content sites. Random/latest lists are great
guessbest 5y ago
Why don't piracy sites share more BLM content, BIPOC, and promote causes such as universal basic income? Seems like it would be something the users would really want.

wolverine876 5y ago

> In my opinion, people have given up caring about privacy and expect to receive an inferior experience from products that proclaim this. Such as Apple products?