<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">IMO:</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Rob,</font>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">I think that you'll have a pleasant
read of the discussion paper...</font>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">If we want the status quo to change,
we'll need to make our voices heard.</font>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Bruce</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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<td width=40%><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>"Rob Atkinson"
<robatkinson101@gmail.com></b> </font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">07/08/2008 12:35 PM</font>
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<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">To</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Bruce.Bannerman@dpi.vic.gov.au</font>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">cc</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Aust-NZ@lists.osgeo.org</font>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<div align=right><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Subject</font></div>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Re: [Aust-NZ] Inquiry into Improving
Access to Victorian Public Sector Information and Data</font></table>
<br>
<table>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<td></table>
<br></table>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>To separate out the issues, one might consider the
only position that<br>
is logically defensible to be:<br>
<br>
1) There should be a general position regarding accountability, like<br>
the intention (but not current practice!) of FOI laws, that taxpayer<br>
funded activities should support free and open access for<br>
non-commercial use to relevant information. This includes all spatial<br>
information, with the well understood exceptions of personal private<br>
details and national security. Specifically there should be a<br>
presumption of public interest, with only commercial exploitation<br>
restricted.<br>
<br>
2) There should not be a technical cost associated in accessing data -<br>
i.e. it should not be bound to a proprietary on in-house custom<br>
technology. FOSS has an obvious role in providing a baseline for
what<br>
is thus acceptable - there should be an onus on data access methods to<br>
provide a FOSS reference implementation, and this should apply<br>
automatically. Critically we mustnt contemplate building private data<br>
distribution arrangements without a commensurate capability to make<br>
the same data visible and accessible using open standards and<br>
licenses.<br>
<br>
3) given a move to service architectures and automated data delivery<br>
anyway it is unreasonable to charge for access to data, beyond direct<br>
costs of bandwidth, which should be charged on the same basis as any<br>
other user. (if any user gets the data freely, then open public access<br>
should too). Any costs incurred by decisions to restrict access<br>
(setting up and managing request or registration systems etc) should<br>
be borne by the organisation that imposes these decisions, not the<br>
public interest. Costs of enforcing licencing restrictions should
be<br>
borne by the commercialisation process.<br>
<br>
4) "Well known" licence forms will be far more cost-effective
for all<br>
parties than creating custom licencing arrangements.<br>
<br>
Of course, common sense will not easily prevail, and even if the<br>
debate happens and reason prevails I expect to see any constructive<br>
action successfully delayed behind YAMCS (yet another metadata<br>
creation scheme). Still, each time around there are more people on<br>
the side of the angels..<br>
<br>
Rob Atkinson<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Thu, Aug 7, 2008 at 11:59 AM, <Bruce.Bannerman@dpi.vic.gov.au>
wrote:<br>
><br>
> IMO:<br>
><br>
> Cameron,<br>
><br>
><br>
> To be honest, this came as a surprise to me. No, I was not aware of
it.<br>
><br>
> Thank you Brianna for making the link available to the list.<br>
><br>
><br>
> I'm in the process of wading through the documentation at the moment.
From<br>
> what I've seen so far it is looking very encouraging. They are not
only<br>
> looking at issues relating to open content but also to open source.<br>
><br>
> I would encourage other list members who would like to open up access
to<br>
> spatial data in Victoria to do the same.<br>
><br>
><br>
> I intend making a private submission to the enquiry, as this is a
particular<br>
> area that I've been interested in for over a decade.<br>
><br>
><br>
> However, if there is sufficient interest from the list, I'll be happy
to<br>
> share what I start with and we can build it as a community.<br>
><br>
> Given the Open Source and open access to spatial data aspects of the<br>
> enquiry, it may be very relevant the make a submission as OSGeo-AustNZ.<br>
><br>
><br>
> Are there any other thoughts on this?<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Bruce Bannerman<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Cameron Shorter <cameron.shorter@gmail.com><br>
><br>
> 07/08/2008 08:36 AM<br>
><br>
> To<br>
> Bruce Bannerman <Bruce.Bannerman@dpi.vic.gov.au><br>
> cc<br>
> Subject<br>
> Re: [Aust-NZ] Inquiry into Improving Access to Victorian Public Sector<br>
> Information and Data<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Bruce,<br>
> Are you aware of this, and if so, are you able to provide any background<br>
> with regards to Vic Gov involvement and suggest any actions that OSGeo<br>
> should take?<br>
><br>
> Brianna Laugher wrote:<br>
>> Hi all,<br>
>><br>
>> I'm Brianna, a long-time lurker, vaguely interested in cool geo-stuff,<br>
>> briefly de-lurking to let y'all know about this:<br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> <http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/edic/inquiries/access_to_PSI/default.htm><br>
>> A Victorian Parliamentary inquiry "to examine a range of
issues<br>
>> surrounding the application of open content and open source licensing<br>
>> to improve access to Victorian government information and data."<br>
>> Submissions close August 22.<br>
>><br>
>> Wikimedia Australia ( http://www.wikimedia.org.au/ ), who I'm
involved<br>
>> with, will likely make a submission.<br>
>><br>
>> cheers,<br>
>> Brianna<br>
>><br>
>><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Cameron Shorter<br>
> Geospatial Systems Architect<br>
> Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050<br>
> Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254<br>
><br>
> Think Globally, Fix Locally<br>
> Commercial Support for Geospatial Open Source Solutions<br>
> http://www.lisasoft.com/LISAsoft/SupportedProducts.html<br>
><br>
><br>
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</tt></font>
<br>