[okfn-discuss] ANN: Open Definition v2.0 Released - Major Update of Essential Standard for Open Data and Open Content

Tue Oct 7 13:49:37 UTC 2014

On 7 October 2014 14:37, Friedrich Lindenberg <friedrich.lindenberg at okfn.org
> wrote:

> Hey Rufus,
>
> congratulations on the update. As was just discussed on IRC, I think the
> definition of “open formats” merits some explanation, as it seems to be
> broad enough to encompass virtually any file format: "Specifically, data
> should be machine-readable, available in bulk, and provided in an open
> format or, at the very least, can be processed with at least one
> free/libre/open-source software tool.”
>
> I can’t think of any file format where a broken parser doesn’t exist in a
> GitHub repo somewhere - including old favourites like Word and Excel.
> Therefore, this definition seems of no practical value to me as a layperson.
>

Good point. I'm going to forward this to the od-discuss list. I guess the
suggested change here (for a possible v2.0.1) is the deletion of the "or,
.... free/libre/open-source software tool"

> Would it be worth elaborating on this in a blog post? Or do you have a
> specific ML thread people should read wrt. to this?
>

We will need to be a bit of digging through the archive. I think this was
in there relatively early and never got removed. The logic I think was
trying to concretize the key point here - that people could get access to
this data easily and freely. (Getting into a formal definition of open
standards can be complex - e.g. there's
https://fsfe.org/activities/os/def.html - e.g. does CSV comply with item 4,
what's the status of geojson etc)

Rufus

> Best regards,
>
> - Friedrich
>
>
>
> On 07 Oct 2014, at 13:28, Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> Here's the announce for the Open Definition v2.0. It is also posted on the
> blog at:
>
>
> http://blog.okfn.org/2014/10/07/open-definition-v2-0-released-major-update-of-essential-standard-for-open-data-and-open-content/
>
> Please do share this announce with relevant communities and organizations!
>
> Regards,
>
> Rufus
>
> *ANN: Open Definition v2.0 Released - Major Update of Essential Standard
> for Open Data and Open Content*
>
> Today Open Knowledge and the Open Definition Advisory Council are pleased
> to announce the release of version 2.0 of the Open Definition
> <http://opendefinition.org/>. The Definition “sets out principles that
> define openness in relation to data and content” and plays a key role in
> supporting the growing open data ecosystem <http://okfn.org/opendata/>.
>
> Recent years have seen an explosion in the release of open data by dozens
> of governments including the G8. Recent estimates by McKinsey put the
> potential benefits of open data at over $1 trillion and others estimates
> put benefits at more than 1% of global GDP.
>
> However, these benefits are at significant risk both from quality problems
> such as “open-washing” (non-open data being passed off as open) and from
> fragmentation of the open data ecosystem due to incompatibility between the
> growing number of “open” licenses.
>
> The Open Definition <http://opendefinition.org/> eliminates these risks
> and ensures we realize the full benefits of open by  guaranteeing quality
> and preventing incompatibility. See this recent post for more about why
> the Open Definition is so important
> <http://blog.okfn.org/2014/09/30/why-the-open-definition-matters-for-open-data-quality-compatibility-and-simplicity/>
> .
>
> Created in 2005, this new version of the Open Definition
> <http://opendefinition.org/> is the most significant revision in the
> Definition’s nearly ten-year history and reflects more than a year of
> discussion and consultation with the community including input from experts
> involved in open data, open access, open culture, open education, open
> government, and open source.  As well as major revisions to the text there
> is a new process for reviewing licenses which has been trialled with major
> governments including the UK.
>
> The Open Definition was published in 2005 by Open Knowledge and is
> maintained today by an expert Advisory Council. This new version of the Open
> Definition <http://opendefinition.org/> is the most significant revision
> in the Definition’s nearly ten-year history.
>
> It reflects more than a year of discussion and consultation with the
> community including input from experts involved in open data, open access,
> open culture, open education, open government, and open source. Whilst
> there are no changes to the core principles, the Definition has been
> completely reworked with a new structure and revised text as well as a new
> process for reviewing licenses (which has been trialled with governments
> including the UK).
>
> Herb Lainchbury, Chair of the Open Definition Advisory Council
> <http://opendefinition.org/advisory-council/>, said:
>
> ‘The Open Definition describes the principles that define “openness” in
> relation to data and content, and is used to assess whether a particular
> licence meets that standard.  A key goal of this new version is to make it
> easier to assess whether the growing number of open licenses actually make
> the grade. The more we can increase everyone’s confidence in their use of
> open works,  the more they will be able to focus on creating value with
> open works.’
>
> Rufus Pollock, President and Founder of Open Knowledge
> <http://www.okfn.org/> said:
>
> ‘Since we created the Open Definition <http://opendefinition.org/> in
> 2005 it has played a key role in the growing open data and open content
> communities. It acts as the ‘gold standard’ for open data and content
> guaranteeing quality and preventing incompatibility. As a standard, the
> Open Definition plays a key role in underpinning the ‘open knowledge
> economy’ with a potential value that runs into the hundreds of billions -
> or even trillions - worldwide.’
>
> What’s New
> In process for more than a year, the new version was collaboratively
> <https://github.com/okfn/opendefinition> and openly
> <https://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/od-discuss/> developed
> <https://github.com/okfn/opendefinition> with input from e
> <https://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/od-discuss/>xperts involved in open
> access, open culture, open data, open education, open government, open
> source and wiki communities. The new version of the definition:
>
>
>    - Has a complete rewrite of the core principles - preserving their
>    meaning but using simpler language and clarifying key aspects.
>    - Introduces a clear separation of the definition of an open license
>    from an open work (with the latter depending on the former). This not only
>    simplifies the conceptual structure but provides a proper definition of
>    open license and makes it easier to “self-assess” licenses for conformance
>    with the Open Definition.
>    - The definition of an Open Work <http://opendefinition.org/od/>
>    within the Open Definition is now a set of three key principles:
>    - Open License: The work must be available under an open license (as
>       defined in the following section but this includes freedom to use, build
>       on, modify and share).
>       - Access: The work shall be available as a whole and at no more
>       than a reasonable one-time reproduction cost, preferably downloadable via
>       the Internet without charge
>       - Open Format: The work must be provided in a convenient and
>       modifiable form such that there are no unnecessary technological obstacles
>       to the performance of the licensed rights. Specifically, data should be
>       machine-readable, available in bulk, and provided in an open format or, at
>       the very least, can be processed with at least one free/libre/open-source
>       software tool.
>       - Includes improved license approval process to make it easier for
>    license creators to check conformance of their license with the Open
>    Definition and to encourage reuse of existing open licenses (rrareuse and
>    outlines the process for submitting a license so that it can be checked for
>    conformance against the Open Definition.
>
>
> More Information
>
>    - For more information about the Open Definition including the updated
>    version visit: http://opendefinition.org/
>    - For background on why the Open Definition matters, read the recent  article
>    ‘Why the Open Definition Matters’
>    <http://blog.okfn.org/2014/09/30/why-the-open-definition-matters-for-open-data-quality-compatibility-and-simplicity/>
>
>  _______________________________________________
> okfn-discuss mailing list
> okfn-discuss at lists.okfn.org
> https://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/okfn-discuss
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.okfn.org/mailman/options/okfn-discuss
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> okfn-discuss mailing list
> okfn-discuss at lists.okfn.org
> https://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/okfn-discuss
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.okfn.org/mailman/options/okfn-discuss
>
>

-- 

*Rufus PollockFounder and President | skype: rufuspollock | @rufuspollock
<https://twitter.com/rufuspollock>Open Knowledge <http://okfn.org/> - see
how data can change the world**http://okfn.org/ <http://okfn.org/> | @okfn
<http://twitter.com/OKFN> | Open Knowledge on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/OKFNetwork> |  Blog <http://blog.okfn.org/>*

The Open Knowledge Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation.  It is
incorporated in England & Wales as a company limited by guarantee, with
company number 05133759.  VAT Registration № GB 984404989. Registered
office address: Open Knowledge Foundation, St John’s Innovation Centre,
Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WS, UK.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/okfn-discuss/attachments/20141007/0dd6d0a3/attachment-0002.html>