[General Topics] roeylee:
The translation of an interesting article about WAZE:

http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=1097303

Channel 10 News, "The Source": the drivers that vanished from Waze success map

By Itay Rom December 10, 2014

About less than a decade ago, many enthusiastic volunteers were enlisted by an anonymous hi-tech guy to a new project that wanted to make free, open and reliable road navigation software. They spent hours in remote roads, in nightly discussions and code fix of a software that were never meant to become commercial, but in spite of that, was sold to Google for 1 Billions $. "We got a fragrance tree and a sticker" they told Channel 10 News. Waze response: "They try to make money on our back".

"It's such a feeling, Patriotic, Idealistic. Mapping the country from scratch". Said to "The Source" Roey Gorodish, one of those many drivers you never heard of, but still have significant role in one of the enormous success of Israeli Hi-tech in the last years.

Google paid no less than $1B for acquiring Waze, the Israeli navigation app – that actually was initiated as croudsource project, by enthusiastic volunteers. In early 2006, they joined "Freemap – the Israeli free project map", encouraged by Ehud Shabtai, a young Hi-tech engineer back then, that one day decided that he is tired of map data that can cost thousands of dollars.

Shabtai decided that the best approach to such a revolutionary project would contact the drivers themselves. He posted on Technology forums such as "Tapuz" and others, and asks the users to join the unique challenge: "The only way to develop something free is by creating a community that develops free maps by itself", and he adds that "The Project needs the community as much as the community needs the Project".

Dozens joined the Project and cooperates for that cause and by understanding that the Project is not commercial. Shabtai himself used to clarify to the users that "All map data is freely released on a daily basis. This is how the Project operates and that won't change".

The drivers spent days and nights to travel the country, in nameless streets and places, in order to map them accurately. Super users were appointed in order to fix mistakes, inaccuracies and other problems. Later on, Area-mangers were appointed too and so were programmers that amended the software open source code. The ambitious enterprise in evolving and ironically, intents to come up against Google Maps enterprise.

A little while after the iPhone lunching, the project excitedly declared the new software is adaptive from now on to cellphones, for the first time in Israel and worldwide. It was also a turning point for Shabtai, the founder, which met a Strategic Consultant form the Technology field who suggested to "Incorporate a Business Enterprise and make something big".

Apparently, while Waze founders projected the investors that they are about to make millions thanks to the volunteering's work – an entirely different story was told to the volunteers. "I once talked with Ehud about money and he said he didn't believe he would ever sell. It was very important for us the money won't be involved, community software only", said one of the volunteering drivers, that admits that if the founders told that they are already businesswise, some of his friends would have quit the Project.

Only during May 2008, after the first round of investment raised dozens of million Shekels, while the map is already very progressive – Shabtai update the volunteers that he has raised funds and about to establish a corporation. The volunteers receive email message with thanks for their efforts, and sometimes a fragrance tree or a sticker. Their efforts outcomes are now "Owned or to be licensed by Waze", meaning the users can't create a new free open software.

Waze commented: "Tendentious and distorted claims, with groundless factual "

"Waze founders and the company, invented from scratch complex and innovative technology, inputting much talent, effort and capital. Using that, Waze created a unique application that among other things, created social network of drivers and navigation capabilities, mapping and real-time traffic. Waze continues developing the technology constantly, gave and continue to give her community users much value.

We were asked to comment on several claims that reflect, as we were told, claims from a class action suit filed against the company and founders. Those are tendentious and distorted claims, with groundless factual". We feel it's an illegitimate attempt of a few to unlawfully earn on the expense of Waze innovation and success. Waze and its cofounders have a long list of arguments that totally rebut all claims, but that could be addressed only in court. Especially while the procedure is in its early stages, and as the court hasn't approved the class action suit and as a request to dismiss the suit is addressed by the court.

We are sorry the program editorial decided to publish those claims, and combined them in a distorted way while jumping to baseless conclusions".