Comments on: Ethics of Data Transformation and Republishing http://getluky.net/2008/04/15/ethics-of-data-transformation-and-republishing/ Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:13:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sebastian http://getluky.net/2008/04/15/ethics-of-data-transformation-and-republishing/comment-page-1/#comment-310774 Sebastian Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:17:41 +0000 http://getluky.net/?p=277#comment-310774 <p>Hm. You were working in a very interesting field there. </p> <p>My opinion is that it should be accepted to charge for the service and for the Transformation itself. What should be illegal is a) to restrict access to the original pd data and b) to implement those "Artificial barriers to innovation" i.e. to not allow others utilize something you proclaim as a standard to further develop the solution or to find a more efficient and cheaper way.</p> <p>Interesting enough, I worked with publicly and not so publicly available data from ngo's and I believe there is a high demand for this kind of solution in general. </p> <p>You should sell such an interface/transformation solution to the Source Company, as I think it is more a know how problem for the responsibles then anything else. They do not know how to efficiently and effectively provide the data in a format, that can easily be utilized by their intended audience. Then you can sell the aggregated and enriched data to a much broader range of people and charge them for the added value.</p> <p>So you help solving a problem - inefficiency - at the interface between organizations and/or users and make some money in the process. classic win-win as it should be.</p> <p>But in terms of technology: is that not something that should be solved by developing web services rather then by templating, interfaces or transformations?</p> Hm. You were working in a very interesting field there.

My opinion is that it should be accepted to charge for the service and for the Transformation itself. What should be illegal is a) to restrict access to the original pd data and b) to implement those “Artificial barriers to innovation” i.e. to not allow others utilize something you proclaim as a standard to further develop the solution or to find a more efficient and cheaper way.

Interesting enough, I worked with publicly and not so publicly available data from ngo’s and I believe there is a high demand for this kind of solution in general.

You should sell such an interface/transformation solution to the Source Company, as I think it is more a know how problem for the responsibles then anything else. They do not know how to efficiently and effectively provide the data in a format, that can easily be utilized by their intended audience. Then you can sell the aggregated and enriched data to a much broader range of people and charge them for the added value.

So you help solving a problem – inefficiency – at the interface between organizations and/or users and make some money in the process. classic win-win as it should be.

But in terms of technology: is that not something that should be solved by developing web services rather then by templating, interfaces or transformations?

]]> By: getluky http://getluky.net/2008/04/15/ethics-of-data-transformation-and-republishing/comment-page-1/#comment-310249 getluky Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:34:12 +0000 http://getluky.net/?p=277#comment-310249 <p>Daniel, that's a really depressing read. In the actual FOIA response letter (http://www.scribd.com/doc/2537243/Answer-to-FOIA-Request-2) that Carl got, I think there's a small contradiction in that they state that some documents had begun to decay at the time of that contract being signed, whereas they also state that providing physical access to paper copies should be enough to fulfill the obligations to the public.</p> <p>As even electronic copies are subject to 'bit-rot', I believe it is a fair question to ask whether an electronic, open-standards format for storage for these documents that is not owned by a private company is the only way to ensure permanent public access to this important historical archive.</p> Daniel, that’s a really depressing read. In the actual FOIA response letter (http://www.scribd.com/doc/2537243/Answer-to-FOIA-Request-2) that Carl got, I think there’s a small contradiction in that they state that some documents had begun to decay at the time of that contract being signed, whereas they also state that providing physical access to paper copies should be enough to fulfill the obligations to the public.

As even electronic copies are subject to ‘bit-rot’, I believe it is a fair question to ask whether an electronic, open-standards format for storage for these documents that is not owned by a private company is the only way to ensure permanent public access to this important historical archive.

]]> By: Daniel Raffel http://getluky.net/2008/04/15/ethics-of-data-transformation-and-republishing/comment-page-1/#comment-310248 Daniel Raffel Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:16:11 +0000 http://getluky.net/?p=277#comment-310248 <p>gordon, check this out: http://freegovinfo.info/node/1798 :sigh: it really sheds some additional light on the situation</p> gordon, check this out: http://freegovinfo.info/node/1798 :sigh: it really sheds some additional light on the situation

]]> By: getluky http://getluky.net/2008/04/15/ethics-of-data-transformation-and-republishing/comment-page-1/#comment-310217 getluky Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:37:43 +0000 http://getluky.net/?p=277#comment-310217 <p>Thanks for your comment, Carl. I think that's a very fair benchmark, and totally agree with the sentiment. I hope I was able to emphasize the importance of that enough in my post.</p> Thanks for your comment, Carl. I think that’s a very fair benchmark, and totally agree with the sentiment. I hope I was able to emphasize the importance of that enough in my post.

]]> By: Carl Malamud http://getluky.net/2008/04/15/ethics-of-data-transformation-and-republishing/comment-page-1/#comment-310216 Carl Malamud Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:24:48 +0000 http://getluky.net/?p=277#comment-310216 <p>| primary source data be available in at least one form.</p> <p>That's really all we're asking. Artificial barriers to entry are obstacles to innovation as well as obstacles to democracy. The benchmark I like to use is that anybody at the end of a cable modem or in a dorm room ought to be able to download the primary materials, no matter how rough, and do something new and useful, whether for academic glory, business wealth, or as a tool for more effective legal practice.</p> <p>(FWIW, there is a growing movement of people working together to put primary law materials on the Internet. Some of them are for-profit, some are non-profit ... we're all working for a common aim.)</p> | primary source data be available in at least one form.

That’s really all we’re asking. Artificial barriers to entry are obstacles to innovation as well as obstacles to democracy. The benchmark I like to use is that anybody at the end of a cable modem or in a dorm room ought to be able to download the primary materials, no matter how rough, and do something new and useful, whether for academic glory, business wealth, or as a tool for more effective legal practice.

(FWIW, there is a growing movement of people working together to put primary law materials on the Internet. Some of them are for-profit, some are non-profit … we’re all working for a common aim.)

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