[Aust-NZ] [Fwd: Fee vs Free] [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[Bruce Bannerman]

Thanks for the comments Ian,

It is good to see that ABS is opening up access to data. 

With regards to your comments, are you referring to:

- aggregated data that can be downloaded for free via open standards.
I'm thinking here of products that were in previous years distributed in
proprietary MapInfo and ESRI formats; or

- spatial intelligence tools on the ABS website that provide controlled
access to ABS data via ABS web applications.


Are you able to clarify this? If not is there an ABS person on the list
who could?


I'd like to find quantifiable benefits that I can cite in the PSI
submission.


Bruce


On Thu, 2008-08-21 at 09:13 +1000, Ian.Batley at ga.gov.au wrote:
> I do not know if there are any ABS people on this list but they could
> probably provide info on the effect of free vs fee from when they changed
> their approach.
> 
> As an example from their 2006-7 Annual report
> http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3E14B0CB530F1C1BCA2573
> 71001405C9?opendocument
> While the release of the 2006 Census output on the ABS website marked a
> significant milestone in the way the ABS communicates information,
> developments are continuing in an attempt to optimise communication to all
> levels across government, the business sector and the community. The ABS'
> goal is to increase the use of statistics and to improve understanding of the
> content, caveats, contexts and limitations of the data, to assist user
> assessment of fitness for purpose of the data. To achieve this we are working
> to provide more relevant, understandable and interesting content. We are also
> working on effective presentation of information on the website by utilising
> opportunities available from web technology. 
> The introduction of free statistics on the website has ensured that use of
> the ABS website continues to grow. This growth is an indication that more
> Australians are using statistics as the basis for decision making across all
> sectors. The ABS has continued the transition away from print media and we
> are now releasing some statistics exclusively on the ABS website, making
> effective use of the internet medium and the features available. 
> 
> The success of the work on using the website for dissemination of information
> gained international recognition in 2006-07. A recent survey of more than 700
> international economists by the Parisian International Chamber of Commerce
> and Ifo Institute, which is an economic research centre attached to the
> University of Munich, concluded that the ABS website is the second best
> national statistical organisation (NSO) website. Statistics Slovenia came in
> first of the sixty-five NSOs and the ABS tied with Statistics Norway for
> second place, with Denmark and Finland also rating highly. 
> 
> 
> -------------------------
> Ian Batley
> ian.batley at ga.gov.au
> 02 6249 5825
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: aust-nz-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
> [mailto:aust-nz-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Bruce Bannerman
> Sent: Wednesday, 20 August 2008 9:37 PM
> To: discuss at lists.osgeo.org
> Cc: Aust-NZ at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: [Aust-NZ] [Fwd: Fee vs Free]
> 
> There is a slide that I've seen relating to the Canadian SDI and the
> dramatic increase in downloads of data in the twelve month period after
> data was made free for download.
> 
> 
> http://www.thinkwell.ca/cgdi-icdg/libraryDocs/FeevsFree.pdf 
> 
> 
> 
> It shows an increase from around 96,000 to > 5.4 Million downloads in
> that period.
> 
> 
> 
> Can anyone point me to some studies that support the claim made in this
> slide please?
> 
> 
> 
> Bruce Bannerman
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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