It’s been some crazy three weeks. The moment I announced that WebODM decoupled from OpenDroneMap I felt a wave of excitement, followed by a feeling of uncertainty as I waited for people’s reactions. Would people rally behind the initiative? Would they be against it? Would they even care?

At first I heard nothing. It takes time for news to travel, even in this hyper-connected world.

Then people’s comments started trickling in. People reached out personally. Across social media. They mostly had one thing to say. “Congratulations!“. I suddenly started receiving spontaneous donations on GitHub. People that had been using WebODM for years, but never actively participated in the community, showed up to support.

It’s been a lot of work. I haven’t had this much work in decades. But I’m thrilled. I’m energized. The best years for open source drone mapping have yet to come.

To all of you that supported and/or continue to support WebODM: thank you.