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

Wed Oct 9 07:03:56 UTC 2013

This is been a very useful discussion - I am slightly surprised that no one
has already created a set of principles of Open Data. Since this is a high
profile list it's a good touchstone that this may not exist.

In which case it seems critical that OKFN take this on board and come up
with a protocol for Open Data. This would be very highly valued. It could
be an extension of the Panton philosophy.

I'd like to see some formal categorisation and exemplification. For example
scientific research may impinge on sensitive scientific locations (nesting
birds). Geo-mapping may impinge on indigenous rights, etc.

We are also about to start extracting mass data from the scientific
literature. There is also the question as to whether the integration of
non-sensitive sources can reveal sensitive material - this is well accepted
in medicine/patients.

I imagine this would make a wonderful challenge for School Of Data and
should be aprt of a modeul (if it isn't already).

P.

On Wed, Oct 9, 2013 at 3:25 AM, Susannah Sabine
<susannah.sabine at gmail.com>wrote:

>
>
>
> 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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-- 
Peter Murray-Rust
Reader in Molecular Informatics
Unilever Centre, Dep. Of Chemistry
University of Cambridge
CB2 1EW, UK
+44-1223-763069
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