[okfn-discuss] Re: Fw: INSPIRE Democratic Process 1/2006

Wed Jan 25 03:23:57 UTC 2006

[background for okfn-discuss: the INSPIRE directive on european
spatial data infrastructure is going to grant member states' national
mapping agencies copyright on a lot of data that has been or should be 
public domain, in a way that was not intended in the original draft.]

dear Benjamin, thanks for your quick reply. Sorry that mine has been a
bit slower; i'm trying to minimize screen time, and maximise unfocused
time, due to a terrible migraine i've had for a week now. :/

What occurs to me right now is this:
> I am fully emplyed by FFII now, but my priorities are on the swpat
> topic again.

How are priorities being set within FFII? I understand that swpat is
*incredibly* important. But is it as time-sensitive as INSPIRE right
now? When is the second reading due to come up; how fast can we
respond to this with a big public petition to make a difference?

I think you are absolutely the key person in this effort right now;
you are in the right place and talking to the rapporteurs. Would you
be able to reprioritise within FFII for just a few days, to help
build background and create the message? If it would help, i recently
wrote this essay trying to explain in basic layperson's terms how
much impact there is in building a Spatial Data Infrastructure:
http://space.frot.org/docs/why_sdi.html that FFIIers with no knowledge
of the domain might be informed by a quick reading of.

> I was looking for a server to host publicgeodata.org/eu, but none of
> my friends gave me. A friend of mine is giving me a shell on a machine
> today.
> What can be really quick is to setup a mediawiki + static frontend
> like
> I did for http://nopeatents.eu.org. The CSS design can be really
> flexible with Mediawiki

I would think OKFN would be able to offer hosting for this. And if
that's not possible, i would offer space on the shared system that runs
http://freemap.in . You mentioned a php based piece of petition
software that may be good; phppetition? something better?

I am 100% up for working on the docset in short bursts, helping to get
the information laid out, and getting the word out, as below: there is
a BIG list of geo SMEs and academics who signed
http://okfn.org/geo/manifesto.php

Any other OKFNers have time and energy to help set up the software?

-jo
On Tue, Jan 24, 2006 at 03:03:48PM +0100, Benjamin Henrion wrote:
> Jo Walsh <jo at frot.org> [060124]:
> > dear benjamin, i guess you know all this forwarded below anyway.
> > 
> > i'm sorry if i overwhelmed you with a spike of enthusiasm when you
> > were last talking abotu INSPIRE, public petitions, etc, that may have
> > seemed - probably was - over the top.
> > 
> > As i have slipped from being in the set of people trying to do something about
> > INSPIRE, to being in the set of people who were once trying to do
> > something about INSPIRE and now feel a terrible guilt at not having
> > pushed harder earlier, i still wonder if there's any way i can help.
> > 
> > what i *can* do: 
> > - help get the word out; email everyone who signed the open geodata
> >   manifesto, and get them to send a petition to all their friends and
> >   colleagues
> > - cory already agreed to put something in boingboing about it
> > - i can try and get a short headsup piece into directions magazine
> > - the http://www.openrightsgroup.org.uk/ are interested, perhaps they
> >   already talked to you in a loop which quite rightfully does not
> >   concern me, and they would help get the word out too, and try and get
> >   mainstream press for a last-ditch awareness effort.
> > 
> > Remember that digital mapping is kind of trendy now, and a lot more
> > people seem to care where it goes than could have been said a year or
> > two years ago.
> > 
> > May the force be with you, and hope that one day soon we'll meet IRL again,
> 
> What to do:
> 
> 1. Setup a petition for rejection if "No public domain data inside"
> 2. Setup a campaign website ALSA Nosftwarepatents.com with testimonies
> of GEO SMEs and academics saying that they are ampered by lack of geo data
> 3. Critical analysis of Amendments
> 4. Procedure questions (no amemdments possible in second reading as far
> as I know)
> 5. Try to get some interviews with the pro-side (NMAs) to know if they
> backed the Council agreement, or if they did lobbying; try also to
> interview the CEC.
> 
> I am fully emplyed by FFII now, but my priorities are on the swpat topic
> again.
> 
> I was looking for a server to host publicgeodata.org/eu, but none of my
> friends gave me. A friend of mine is giving me a shell on a machine
> today.
> 
> What can be really quick is to setup a mediawiki + static frontend like
> I did for http://nopeatents.eu.org. The CSS design can be really
> flexible with Mediawiki.
> 
> > ----- Forwarded message from Christopher Corbin <corbinceh at ntlworld.com> -----
> > 
> > Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 13:01:43 +0000
> > Subject: INSPIRE Democratic Process 1/2006
> > From: Christopher Corbin <corbinceh at ntlworld.com>
> > To: EGIP <european-gi-policy at jrc.it>
> > 
> > The stage is now set for the second reading of the proposed INSPIRE
> > Directive following the 2703rd Council Meeting, Agriculture and Fisheries
> > that was held in Brussels on the 23 January 2006 which adopted the Councils
> > common position on the proposed INSPIRE Directive following the first
> > reading.
> > 
> > Page 23 of the draft minutes refers and can be downloaded from:
> > 
> > http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/agricult/88099.pdf
> > 
> > 
> > Towards the end of 2005 the Council also agreed to improving the openness
> > and transparency in the Council.  Details can be downloaded from:
> > 
> > http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/misc/87778.pdf
> > 
> > Over the next six months the Council would welcome feedback on whether they
> > are achieving this increased openness and transparency.  The second reading
> > of the proposed INSPIRE Directive would be a good process to monitor as
> > during the first reading the European parliament and European Commission
> > were far more open and transparent than the Council.
> > 
> > The Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting held on the 23rd January 2006
> > also adopted improved Transparency with respect to access to documents.
> > 
> > Chris
> > 
> > 
> > Chris (Corbin)
> > 
> > Brighton
> > Sussex
> > England
> > 
> > Telephone: +44 (0) 1273 553110
> > email: corbinceh at ntlworld.com
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > EGIP Archive:  http://www.ec-gis.org/egip/
> > 
> > ----- End forwarded message -----
> > 
> > -- 
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> 
> -- 
> Benjamin Henrion <bh at udev.org>
> http://bh.udev.org
> <<<                   European Community Patent will bring            >>>
> <<<                     Software patents by the backdoor              >>>
> <<<                      http://wiki.ffii.org/ComPatEn                >>>

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