Comments on: 2009 In Review Part 2: Organisations http://www.vicchi.org/2009/12/24/2009-in-review-part-2-organisations/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2009-in-review-part-2-organisations Geo-blogging, geo-talking and geo-tweeting, these are the occasional ramblings of a self professed "geek with a life" Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:44:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gary http://www.vicchi.org/2009/12/24/2009-in-review-part-2-organisations/comment-page-1/#comment-322 Gary Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:52:19 +0000 http://www.vicchi.org/2009/12/24/2009-in-review-part-2-organisations/#comment-322 In an organisation as large as the Ordnance Survey I don't doubt that there's inertia and resistance to change. After all, the whole concept of "open", however you choose to define it, is anathema to a lot of the OS staff and the legislature that enforces the proprietary licensing model on the OS data. But every person in the OS I've spoken to is committed to "open" and is passionate about it. They have to be because one way or another change is coming to the OS. It can be change the OS controls, in which case they remain a vital and effective data source, or change the OS doesn't control, with parallels to the way in which Google ring fenced Teleatlas in the United States earlier this year. In the former scenario, the OS remains, in the latter, the OS becomes redundant. My hope is for the former. When a baby takes its first faltering steps, you don't chastise it for not walking properly at the first attempt or for taking so long to walk in the first place. Nor do you accuse the parents or grandparents of some sinister plot to allow the baby to walk, but only in a half hearted manner. No, you encourage, praise and offer constructive suggestions to help the process. And that's exactly what the OS needs from us right now ... praise, support and encouragement. In an organisation as large as the Ordnance Survey I don’t doubt that there’s inertia and resistance to change. After all, the whole concept of “open”, however you choose to define it, is anathema to a lot of the OS staff and the legislature that enforces the proprietary licensing model on the OS data. But every person in the OS I’ve spoken to is committed to “open” and is passionate about it.

They have to be because one way or another change is coming to the OS. It can be change the OS controls, in which case they remain a vital and effective data source, or change the OS doesn’t control, with parallels to the way in which Google ring fenced Teleatlas in the United States earlier this year.

In the former scenario, the OS remains, in the latter, the OS becomes redundant.

My hope is for the former.

When a baby takes its first faltering steps, you don’t chastise it for not walking properly at the first attempt or for taking so long to walk in the first place. Nor do you accuse the parents or grandparents of some sinister plot to allow the baby to walk, but only in a half hearted manner.

No, you encourage, praise and offer constructive suggestions to help the process.

And that’s exactly what the OS needs from us right now … praise, support and encouragement.

]]> By: Chris http://www.vicchi.org/2009/12/24/2009-in-review-part-2-organisations/comment-page-1/#comment-318 Chris Fri, 01 Jan 2010 11:15:17 +0000 http://www.vicchi.org/2009/12/24/2009-in-review-part-2-organisations/#comment-318 If some of the staff at Ordnance Survey would like to make their datasets open, the senior management there certainly seem determined to resist it. When any data is released by OS we'll see just how open it really is and how much of a it was a cynical, politically-motivated promise by the Government dressed up as open by the reluctant senior management. I want to see all kinds of data from public bodies released for open use. The funding needs to be sorted out for OS, but that is nothing compared to the benefits and innovation that will spring from open data. I hope OS can lead the way - but I'm not holding my breath. If some of the staff at Ordnance Survey would like to make their datasets open, the senior management there certainly seem determined to resist it. When any data is released by OS we’ll see just how open it really is and how much of a it was a cynical, politically-motivated promise by the Government dressed up as open by the reluctant senior management.

I want to see all kinds of data from public bodies released for open use. The funding needs to be sorted out for OS, but that is nothing compared to the benefits and innovation that will spring from open data. I hope OS can lead the way – but I’m not holding my breath.

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