FAQ
General questions​
How can I help?
We'd be glad to hear from you! You can give feedback to help us figure out the next steps. You can also contribute code, a blog article, help us identify inaccuracies in the data, and more.
Check out a more detailed How to contribute guide.
License​
What is an open license?
Broadly speaking, an open license is one which grants permission to access, re-use and redistribute a work with few or no restrictions. [Source: The Open Knowledge Foundation.]
Under what license is your climbing data published?
Excluding photos and software source code, OpenBeta climbing data is published under the Creative Commons Public Domain (aka CC0).
Why do you publish the climbing data under CC0?
We choose CC0 to maximize reuse and adoption.
Long answer: Crowd-sourced climbing data is the labor of the climbing community. Oftentimes it's the work of multiple contributors and a mix of creative, and factual and non-copyrightable content. Figuring out authorship and where copyrightable content begins and ends can be a technical and legal nightmare for the community. CC0 removes the legal red tape burden from community members who want to reuse and add value to the existing work.
Why does climbing content need a license where I can already browse climbing sites for free?
While other climbing websites don't charge a fee to read the content, that is where your rights stop. Their Terms and Conditions may forbid you from reusing the crowd-sourced information even if the information may not be copyrightable.
By adopting a well-known and open license (such as those by the Creative Commons), we remove ambiguity and allow community members to collaborate and build on each other's work.
Others​
Are you competing with printed guidebooks?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: We're supporters of guidebooks. Think of us as the Wikipedia of rock climbing. Despite all the free cooking recipes found online, there's no subsitute for great cookbooks with interesting back stories and mouth-watering photos.
Will making climbing information more accessible lead to overcrowding at local crags?
No. Access to information and overcrowding issues are often conflated. Open access to information about climbing areas on public lands enables us study computer programming, data science, to conduct studies and researches.
What's the funny carabiner on your logo?
His name is Gus, and thanks for asking! He's a bail carabiner found on The Grack in Yosemite.