[okfn-discuss] what are the arguments against open data

Wed Oct 9 02:25:15 UTC 2013

On 9 October 2013 09:40, Gene Shackman <eval_gene at yahoo.com> wrote:

> This is good. Someone may spend a lot of time developing data, so they
> should be able to get credit, be in control, get the benefits from the
> data. I can relate to that.
>
> Govt data is a somewhat different case, in that govt data *should* be open
> (except for national security or privacy). Even people who use govt grants
> to create data should go in with the expectation that their data must be
> open. If the people fund it, the people should have it.
>
> I'd like to hear a little more about challenges to funding if the data are
> open, though.
>
> But otherwise, it seems difficult to expect people who privately develop
> data to just open it up to anyone without some compensation, or
> recognition, or control. That's where we need some kind of business model.
>

Gene - I would love to see a business model that included data collected
under government contract to be open. Once again if the public has paid for
it already they should be able to access it. I know that many private
businesses would not agree with this and it may take some time to shake
down the economics of it but I see no "reason" why this could not happen.

>
> So, are there private business people on this list?
>
> Gene
>
>
I also wanted to make a comment about some concerns (as someone said often
by new comers) about privacy. When countering that objection it is
important to see if people are talking about privacy or obscurity. There is
much information that may be considered by some to be private (names and
addresses) that are already on the public record (e.g. some US state lists
of gun owners). But in the past it has been difficult to access this
information - even though it is a matter of public record and has always
been open and available for anyone to access. The furores about privacy
often erupt when someone takes this information and presents it in an easy
to access form (such as interactive maps).

Society has for a long time relied on privacy by obscurity. This can no
longer be considered the case.

Just my thoughts...
Susannah
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