[okfn-be] Desired feedback on datasets

Wed Feb 22 12:13:29 UTC 2012

Op 22-02-12 11:52, Cedric De Vroey schreef:
>
>     "I proposed them that
>     it would be better to license the KBO data to 100.000 people for € 6,
>     instead of the 6 parties for € 100.000. They didn't like the idea
>     because of the additional administration"
>

As an argument to convince them, I think it's not very strong.

1) It strengthens the notion of government data as proprietary data.

2) Practically, they win the argument.
     Suppose you are a freelancer or CEO of a company,
     what would you prefer? Send 6 invoices or send 100.000 invoices
     for the same result?

> Euhm, this is the moment where I say "What the fuck?!?"
>
> Governments are obliged to open up that data, even if it would be 
> pointless and lead to no added value for themselves. It is our 
> democratic right to have access to data which is generated through 
> public services, paid with our own hard tax money (with respect to 
> privacy and security of course). I think it is completely outrageous 
> that FEDecon sells data, I never heard about this fact but I am 
> profoundly shocked now I know. If there is action to be taken then it 
> is to stop this malpractice! I already paid for collecting that data, 
> I already paid for the machines that process that data, I paid for the 
> machines that deliver the data to the parties that buy these data at 
> the moment and I also paid for the workforce that developed the 
> platform. I already paid! I'm not going to pay twice!

I think in principle it's not bad that governmental organisations try to 
earn income
to pay for their own expenses.

Suppose this organisation has 1.000.000 EUR income of licensing data.
It means taxpayers need to subsidize 1.000.000 EUR less.
So part of the machines, part of the workforce, they paid for themselves.

I think we have two  "sane" strategies:

1) always advocate that this governmental data should be "open data", 
like in royalty-free public domain data.
     This means some organisations have to give up their current 
licensing-model.

2) for organisations that currently sell their data, advocate a low-end 
freemium-model
     - a freemium where everyone can access data manually, but not in 
bulk or automated
     - heavy users, usually companies, pay a license to access a 
specific API-suited for that purpose.

      Google Maps is such an example.
      It's free(as in beer) for almost everyone, except for heavy-users 
that have to pay.

One example:
In belgium, everyone can access balance sheets of annual accounts (de 
jaarrekeningen) of Belgian Companies.
You can download it manually as pdf or XBRL.
But in the Netherlands you need to pay for this information, even for a 
single PDF-download.

Needing to pay 100.000EUR to access anything(?) from KBO, just seems 
very discriminatory.

Greets,
Wouter

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