Roadmap 2023

[Will Senn]

Hello Norman,

On 1/4/23 5:20 AM, Norman Feske wrote:
> snip...
> your privacy interests are perfectly aligned with mine.
>
> Regarding positional tracking, my idea is to have a GPS switch in the 
> "Phone" part of Sculpt's UI. So the user is always in control to 
> switch this modem feature on/off. If GPS is enabled, the modem driver 
> feeds the current GPS coordinates as polled from the modem into a GPS 
> report.
>
> Now when integrating the OSM component, one can deliberately decide 
> how to connect the GPS ROM requested by the OSM component. Normally, 
> one would connect it to the GPS report that reflects the position 
> provided by the modem. Alternatively, one could provide a hand-crafted 
> GPS ROM (pretending that you are somewhere else), or none (by 
> directing the GPS ROM request to the black hole).
>
> When using an offline map, the OSM app would neither need network 
> access nor write access to any file system. Therefore, we don't need 
> to trust the app. That's the best protection against positional 
> tracking we can achieve.
>
> Note, however, that the network provider or a malicious/compromised 
> modem firmware might still be able to track you. This could only be 
> mitigated by taking the GPS position from a distinct GPS device that 
> is independent from the modem, and leave the modem switched off.
>
> From your posting I get that you have probably higher expectations 
> from an OSM client application than me. I'd be happy enough with a 
> plain map that helps me finding my way to the nearby Hostel when 
> arriving by train at a foreign place. The crafting/porting of a more 
> competent OSM app would be a perfect topic for contributing because as 
> an actual user of such features, you have the incentives to get it right.
>
> Since such an application would merely consume a GPS ROM, it can be 
> developed without any physical GPS device or phone. The GPS position 
> could come from a component that reports fake GPS positions. Compass 
> sensory data could be handled similarly.
>
> Cheers
> Norman
>
This sounds like a good and rational approach that you explained nicely. 
Thanks for sharing. I'm pretty sure I'm not quite up to doing an app 
like this, I'd prolly settle for your version :).

Thanks,

Will