The Guardian, a British daily newspaper, has launched a campaign attempting to get the UK government to set what should be public data free.
So what, you might say. (non-UK readers, feel free.) You"d be wrong. The UK government, using tax payer money, collects a large amount of data in a number of areas - weather, traffic, mapping, are but a few. The twist is that to get hold of it, citizens are forced to pay
again. The nerve.
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This situation prevails across a number of government agencies. Its effects are all bad. It stifles innovation, enterprise and the creativity that should be the lifeblood of new business. And that is why Guardian Technology today launches a campaign -
Free Our Data. The aim is simple: to persuade the government to abandon copyright on essential national data, making it freely available to anyone, while keeping the crucial task of collecting that data in the hands of taxpayer-funded agencies."
Looking, with a wistful eye, towards the USA, readers will note that such data is "free". It"s powered phenomenal programs like Google Maps. UK users of mapping data, for one example, currently have pay a significant amount making such web-apps unlikely and expensive. The argument is simple; the cost holds back innovative uses of the data who"s net economic benefits to the economy far outweigh the loss in revenue.
So what can you do? Sadly, The Guardian doesn"t appear (yet) to have a dedicated base for a campaign. However, you can always write to your MP.