[Publicwhip-playing] Re: [geo-discuss] Re: [Openstreetmap] Coders needed for similar project & UK FOI act request update.

Fri Nov 11 14:09:53 UTC 2005

Chris Lightfoot wrote:

>On Fri, Nov 11, 2005 at 01:41:57PM +0000, Rufus Pollock wrote:
>  
>
>>I think Roger is absolutely right formally on this. However should the 
>>FOI request succeed surely that would imply that all British Citizens 
>>are entitled to access to this data. If that were the case while re-use 
>>would be prohibited why would redistribution to other (UK) individuals 
>>be illegal -- it would simply be a quicker method of getting the data 
>>than endless FOI requests by different citizens.
>>    
>>
>
>In practice there would presumably be a publication scheme.
>  
>

Yes, _in practice_, all government departments _are _supposed to have 
implemented Information Asset Registers (IARs) which are publicly 
available, by which citizens can readily see what info assets (data) 
these departments hold and what is available to see, plus implement 
systems to make that info available preferably on-line.

Many government departments have proactive info dissemination systems 
available via the web - but not all, and those that fail in this way are 
being targetted to "do better" in the very near future. But many also 
failed to realise just how much such proactive dissemination of 
information - even the creation of the IARs - was going to cost in terms 
not only of money (tax payers money, remember, which funds the 
departments) but also the expertise to create such systems and then 
maintain them on a long term basis.

RAL