No access, no use
Jinfo Blog

21st December 2007

Item

I just read the insight in the latest issue of VIP www.vivavip.com/vip/ about what will be free and what will be fee, written by Tim Buckley Owen. Excellent heads up! Are the trends saying that contents have near-zero value? May I phrase this from a slightly different angle: Information has zero or near-zero value when the information exists without a context in which it is useful. Case in point is the vast amount of public sector information collected and controlled by governments around the world. Much of this data is not yet online, or online but not known to those who need it. Even for the tip of the iceberg that is accessible online now, difficulties in retrieval and use are commonplace. There is no value for information that nobody knows or is able to access it. Information sitting in idle is detached from context where it can be useful. The context comes from users who have problems to solve or have creative minds to mash up the data for new ideas. In an independent review titled “The Power of Information” http://digbig.com/4tyjh commissioned by the UK Cabinet Office, thanks to Tim for the link, the author described two new groups of citizens emerged along the wide use of the Internet: The first group is people who take part in online communities and contribute to user-generated information that help community members. The second group is people who re-use information, also known as “data mashers”, to build new tools and services. In other words, information is a powerful source for encouraging innovation and creating new social and economic values. Interestingly, the UK government’s response (June 2007) to the Review http://digbig.com/4weag stated that it will publish a study concentrating on availability and pricing of public sector information in order to ensure it fully understands and responds appropriately to changes in the information market. Unlocking the power of information starts with making information accessible. The more information is free or nearly free, the more people can access and “activate” the information in relevant contexts. Isn’t that a way to realize the value of information?

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