https://www.dropbox.com/s/49uwok5uln54xqc/DailyTelegraph_021113.jpg
What are your thoughts on the "data web"? What problems and opportunities do you foresee? What will it mean for GIS?
For more on Sir Berners-Lee you could visit these URLs:
Please post your comments by 8pm on Friday of this week (15th) for the 1% mark
Paul McKenzie
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ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look like Sir Tim Berners Lee has said anything about Postgre - as the best Open Source database - which is a bit odd - given he is the head of the Open Data Institute!
ReplyDeleteActually, I looked in to this more, and starting with the ODI (Open Data Institute), in their About us / FAQ section it says:
Delete"What are the Open Data Institute’s aims?"
"The Open Data Institute will catalyse the evolution of an open data culture to create economic, environmental, and social value. It will unlock supply, generate demand, create and disseminate knowledge to address local and global issues."
From reading around, the institute appears to be principally governemtn funded, and tends not to talk about the actual tools that might help it with its goals. They operate on a higher level.
Naturally, I respect Tim, many of his ideas are quite liberal and positively individualistic, but like L Tilrem mentions above, I do worry about the kind of information that can be inferred from big data from knowing what appear to be innocuous facts. This might be all very well now, but as we seem to globally swing ever more towards right wing political doctrines, people 'in the way' can ever-more be readily identified as 'problems' using this kind of technology. (you could argue that it is too late - it's already here!)
I agree, we all conduct complex analysis from seemingly harmless data every day. Sites like facebook are already documenting every aspect of peoples existence and its only a matter of time (if its not already taking place) before criminal groups have their own GIS departments... on the plus side that would mean more jobs in the sector...
DeleteThis is a really interesting and important concept. In 2008 I was working for an archaeology company. I had been brought in to cover the work load of the two GI specialists in the company as they worked on a European research project aimed at opening up the data repositories of archaeology companies to the wider research community and the public.
ReplyDeleteAt the time the Irish economy was in meltdown, construction had ground to a halt and as a result archaeology companies that had been supporting the construction boom were closing their doors for good. While legislation required archaeological surveys of sites uncovered due to development there was very little laid down in terms of what should be done with the data once collected. As companies closed down there was a serious concern that a lot of important data on Irish heritage was going to be lost.
When you consider that many of the projects that resulted in the collection of this data would have been state funded infrastructure projects (such as the M3 which passed near Tara) it really would have been a disaster to see the information lost forever, as the sites had long since been destroyed by the developments.
The collection of datasets with the use of public funds, whether collected by private or public bodies, really should be public property.
Very good point. I see your point that once data is created for a public service it is essential to keep in within the public domain for future use. I guess it saves a lot of time as new studies don’t need to duplicate work and makes storing of data more streamline. I think this is already happening on a range of levels with NI Mapping agreement and Aspire ect but we need to ensure that data collected by third party contractors falls within these requirements as well as more public bodies are outsourcing services. I am not sure if this will this lead to private contractors becoming significantly more expensive loss of data revenues after the work is complete or provide a disincentive for companies to collect the data in the first place.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this piece, however I would like to read a paper on this topic published by himself going into more detail. The "constant battle of mindsets" will be very difficult to overcome in my opinion. Yes I agree the advantages of data sharing are fantastic for many users however, I cant help but think unless the advantage is proven without doubt to be directly related towards that data holder then they may choose not to as long as they have that choice. The idea of "performing service to your country" I dont believe will be more important to companies than their financial benefit.
ReplyDeleteData sharing is already happening and is ever increasing so I think what Sir Tim Berners-Lee is proposing is inevitable. Lots of people willingly ‘Like’ products or websites and accept cookies when surfing the net and are therefore willingly sharing their information. I think as long as people have a choice whether to share their data, and personal and confidential information is not shared, then data sharing can be beneficial to both individuals and businesses. Unfortunately I also think it is inevitable that there will be job losses in certain roles as we have already seen an increase in online shopping over the past few years meaning the need for shop floor customer service representatives is lowered - we have also seen this in supermarkets with the introduction of self-service tills and self scanners. However it can only be positive to the GIS community with the likelihood of increased need for GIS skills.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAgreed, and as is mentioned in the last paragraph of the article. In terms of jobs in that climate, mass unemployment is the only possible outcome. Market research surely won't need a human resource to run at all! Not a sector I consider an entirely wholesome or valuable one, but it's yet another step towards no working humans, only consumers tapping machines. A long way off yet (the timeline of films like Wall-E etc. may be most accurate in their guess) but surely the direction we're going.
DeleteI agree with Jenny that a lot of information is already available, however I think the problem is that it is not easily accessible or it is not presented in a format that is easily used. As Ciaran mentioned above, archaeological data collected during construction schemes appears to be lost when the companies close their doors. In my experience from working in a local authority this data is stored in the form of reports and datasets by the body that commissioned them, typically the local authority or road authority. They are available to individuals or organisations that require them, they just have to ask!
ReplyDeleteI believe a major factor in open data sharing is not making the data available, but making people aware that the data is available and facilitating easy access to it in a useful format.
You're probably right Nicholas, I would imagine that all government contracts that result in the collection of data contain a clause that claims property rights over all data for the state. It is the next phase that is most likely failing ie is the state taking possession of the data and if so is it capable of/interested in making this data readily available to the public.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article! While I agree with the above comments that there is a wide range of data already available, I wonder could there be more done to regulate it and hence lay down a framework for future data release. Ciaran, you make an excellent point on what becomes of collected data after it has served its purpose. Having worked in the public sector in the past I found the same problem. i.e. concern about collected data and whether it would become public property.
ReplyDeleteRe public sector concerns around collected data becoming public property - the freedom of information act has forced many public sector organisation to think long and hard about their information and the section 45 amendments regarding datasets are encouraging many to look a open data in a new light.
DeleteI think this is an interesting article and I agree we are already moving in the direction of widespread data sharing. I also agree with L. Tilrem’s initial post about the article being quite vague; what sort of data specifically is the article talking about?
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of good can come from data sharing e.g. less duplication of data, decrease costs, but I think we need to be careful about the data that we make available for sharing. Surely it isn’t a good idea to share data on a personal level? In terms of businesses and governments, then yes, I can see that data sharing is a good thing.
I agree with Andrew Jeffery where he says that we need to have proper regulatory systems in place before we start to share even more data. I think that a lot of harm can come from unregulated data sharing… there are already claims that sharing geographical information is linked to crime e.g. stalking, harassment and theft.
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ReplyDeleteData hippies today, money hungry knowledge industrialists tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteWill the same story keep repeating itself or will it be different this time around?
The biggest opportunities around at the minute are in developing a life cycle model that supports the persistence of links we try to establish between the data and information we are interested in, in identifying a method to grow this information in a way that is useful to ourselves and possibly the organisations we interact with and also in developing a way to keep these different aspects of our life discrete and separated.
By way of an example, during the course of our academic lives we will create lots of loose links between documents by citing other documents and would be interested in seeing how other people are interacting and progressing with studies in similar, tangential and intersecting fields of study.
In our daily life we build similar links through social media, purchase histories and web searches. Today our emails, web histories, blog posts and tweets are subjected sentiment analysis. In the future, with the web of things, our fridges will publish information about their contents or lack there of.
There are advantages in keeping these discrete or letting them blend together. But this must be our own choice. We should be able to tint our searches by adding or removing the influences of our various virtual personas. You don't want to have your academic virtual stream of thought unduly influenced by your tendencies to never eat the yoghurt you buy or that you don't by enough vegetables.
Ultimately some of us will choose to live our lives more publicly than others. Some will choose to contribute in private and others, as always, will do it by accident.
By accepting that this will be monetised in some way we can get over a lot of the issues but the government is not going to save you here. I think ultimately an entrepreneur will give you exactly what you want and you'll go for it. That is unless you haven't noticed that Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page or Sergey Brin to name but a few have already brought you half way there.
Open data will just provide a rich framework to start the ball rolling.
Design a rocking interface and you could rule the world, the real one or maybe just a small virtual one.
Jonathan Sloan
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DeleteThe internet is a very dilute solution of useful information. Anything that let's us start to generate crystals of useful knowledge is going to make a big difference.
DeleteRe the internet fridge - while it seems like a completely pointless idea. Imagine if you were doing a study on the effectiveness of cooling systems at different latitudes or the longevity of electric motors. The ubiquity of these devices means an enormous volume of real world data becomes available.
I totally agree with this point that some people will be more private than others.
DeleteInternet fridge. Wow. I can see arguments for and against why that'd be brilliant. Spitting out dietary recommendations having correlated with various nutrition studies' data online. Yes, also providing supermarket chains with an inventory of what you buy and how long you store it....but we're halfway there as many have said above. It started with Tesco clubcard (as far as grocery data goes) and now anyone with a loyalty card is sharing all their shopping habits with the supermarket (and some high 3rd party bidders).
DeleteA concern I must echo from above is that there already is, and there will be a flood of, poor quality data. Would the quality of said data be subject to user review (like every product/merchant/coffee shop listed online), or would there be some kind of heirarchy of data in terms of its reliability? Can university research data really be said to be of greater quality than an amateur naturalist's?
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ReplyDeleteReading though the article I thought its contents was very vague and basic, we know already that the use of computers and databases has become an important part of our daily lives. As Jenny, Nicholas and Tom have said there is already a large quantity of information out there. But the sharing of the information will need to have proper processes put in place to stop the misuse of sensitive information.
ReplyDeleteI largely agree with what he is saying and believe we will/are moving towards an open system. As with many of the above comments, i have concerns that we will walk into it with without proper regulatory systems in place which will lead to increased abuse of data. For example we already know what the US and UK spy agencies do with data (from Edward Snowdon) and the hostility that received from the public. So i believe as data openness becomes more established, a case will come to light highlighting the abuse of data which will cause a huge public back lash. Face it we are going to leave the system open to abuse untill something like this occurs to expose it vulnerabillity.
ReplyDeleteDelete
I agree, there is always going to be the risk of hackers getting into systems and security measures may only be improved once this has already happened.
DeleteThere was some fun satire (fake news sites like The Onion) on the uproar surrounding the US/UK governments collecting our data, when advertising and consumer corporations collect it all the time and we don't bat an eyelid. Is that distrust of government or Joe Public being oblivious to what happens to their purchase history when they log out?
DeleteIn the scanned article Sir Tim illustrates positives of data sharing, however considerations must be given to the negative aspects of data sharing. I think the BBC article is an example of when data sharing becomes particularly sensitive and depending on personal or corporate viewpoints could be positive or negative.
ReplyDeleteIf datasets are to be freely distributed I believe questions remain over the use of the data and possible consequences over misuse of data. In essence some examples of data sharing could be thought off as a ‘decision v consequence’, if I decide to release data – what are the potential consequences? Other issues surrounding the release of data are IPR issues / copyright.
In terms of GIS data sharing in some instances is very beneficial, in other instances caution is required – all in all I believe the use of the data should govern if data is shared. Shared data also enables ‘linked data’ to occur and GIS systems consuming web services, so this is a positive aspect of shared data.
I think there is good cause to look at open data along the same lines as 'herd immunisation'. It really doesn't work until a critical threshold is met. If there is significant picking and choosing of what will be shared then it is very easy to see how governments or large organisations with a data monopoly in a particular area could skew figures by releasing or holding back data to strengthen there position or point of view. One example being the tobacco industry who for years pumped out studies 'proving' tobacco wasn't harmful but were less open about how they conducted there research.
DeleteNot that I disagree totally with the idea that controls over what is released are needed. I'm just saying that the flip side of that coin is that controls over what gets held back would surely be required also...
The article on Sir Tom is an interesting topic, which is likely to start widespread debate. Sir Tom seems to be constantly referring to the positives of open data and it's importance in creating a more efficient future for all.
ReplyDeleteIn some cases I agree with his thoughts that companies should release their data, as this will make their procedures tansparent to the rest of the world. Certain organisations can improve their performance from finding out where others have gone wrong and right.
However, I can't see why an organistaion would let this data known to the wider world for nothing in return. Why would a high performing company want their rivals to see how they are doing well and how they are making profit? Sir Tom seems to be pointing towards the competitiveness theory as a way that all companies (those performing well and those who are not) can profit from sharing data. Though I feel he will have alot of persuading to do to get his point of view across to leading organisations.
In relation to GIS, the open sharing of data would be a positive to those working in the field. Constant supplies of up to date data can see analysts predict with more accuracy what might happen in the future and how to learn from mistakes.
Very interesting point RE improving performance. Businesses are always looking to find ways to improve and gain a competitive advantage. Could data sharing be another way of doing this?
DeleteSir Tim is of the opinion that the "data web" will grow and its use will become more widespread in the coming years. I would agree with this. In the current technoloigcal age companies and people are continually using computers to find faster and more efficient ways of carrying out tasks.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are potential problems associated with this. I think that the increased use of data sharing would mean that jobs are lost, as tasks become more automated. This of course would be not benefical for the workforce. However, Sir Tim believes that whilst this may be the case he thinks that there will be an increase in jobs in the data sector.
In terms of GIS, increased data sharing would allow for many GIS opportunities. To get it up and running properly, it would require a substantial amount of workers.
I don't think that everyone will ever hold the same view about data sharing. As mentioned by other people (above) some people are ultimately more private than others. Resultantly, some people will be more willing and acceptable to share their data and utilise data sharing.
There is no doubt that we are moving towards greater levels of our personal and public data being shared amongst everyone.
The idea of the 'data web' has the basis for a good idea, however as stated by most of the others the article is very vague and only a very basic concept of this 'data web' is given. In reality if this were to happen it would involve large amounts of regulations, most of which are easier said than done. Also of course many people would love to see so much information available, but there are lots of groups and organisations that would not like to part with said information as it may have detrimental effects for them and their business or organisation.
ReplyDeleteGIS could potentially benefit greatly from such information being readily available. However such information being available to everyone could have negative effects on people or even whole countries.
I think the movement of open source data has been developing for some time now. there is a lot of data that you can now get from the government such as census data, which is only right. You could argue providing such data for free is cheaper then at as a price. as this once would of required somebody popping do to a local gov depot. it could also be argued that providing data through the internet diminishes its value compared with hard paper copies. For instance a solicitor i'm going through to purchase a house refused to pay for some search information that was provided in data format.
ReplyDeleteof course there still a lot of stuff that would be of real benefit if made open source. and somebody like Sir Tim Berners-Lee championing the cause will make a different. Maybe if Bill Gates got on bored that would help further. though i wont hold my breath.
A subject that I have some strong views about, and I have previously seen the TED talk. The idea of everybody sharing all of their data to enable the next evolution of the web sounds like a great idea, and when it comes form Sir Tim the majority will sit up and listen, but despite this I have some reservations. The internet for all its genius has a number of flaws, one being the fact that it's largely unregulated which allows websites to be used for crime and once they are closed down they can spring up again under another guise.
ReplyDeleteIn light of this do we want to place further data onto the web that for all the good that it may offer it may aid the "Dark Web" conduct its business. And Sir Tim's comments about the prying eyes of the security services has some foundation it may be a small price to pay for foiling the extremists plans. We must also remember it is his web that extremist use a recruiting tool on their propaganda websites.
Maybe I'm a bit bias but for all the good that this idea may have there will be people who will exploit this data in the wrong way.
Alfie
Hi Alfie,
DeleteI have to say I agree with your viewpoint on this, until the world has shown it is mature enough and the architecture exists to successfully regulate the web it would be naive to put any sensitive data out there. Especially with the introductions of macro-viruses, originally designed for international espionage and sabotage but now freely available to criminal networks the world over.
The world is going towards a cloud based internet, that much is obvious and is already happening, but until we have the means to firmly grip the metaphorical greasy weasel of the internet firmly we should remain cautious and ever vigilant.
Jon
Hi Jonathan, is sensitive data not already out there?!? Those people who use facebook, who don't tie down who can see what they post, and don;t think before posting that they're away on holiday for two weeks, forgetting that they have listed their address on their profile page? Or those who put their DOB, phone number, email address and employer etc on facebook - this information could be used to steal their identity.
DeleteI read an interesting article this week about genetic testing
http://www.fastcompany.com/3021310/most-creative-people/fixing-healthcaregov-is-the-least-of-it-when-it-comes-to-fixing-health-
This company aims to have all this information about genetics available on one big database to assist with drug testing, finding cures. I truly believe if more data was shared, healthcare would be finding cures to the diseases that affect all our lives much much quicker.
Thought this was an interesting read and certainly does the job of publicising the general use of Open Data, whether in a positive or negative light. As highlighted by many I'd agree he is extremely vague about what sorts of data he would like people, companies or government's too actually share, and what sorts of things will in future be decided for us by a computer.
ReplyDeleteOpen data sharing certainly sounds like it has the potential for entirely new business models to come into play and may see the next generation of google's, facebook's etc. But what about these existing companies? Many of whom base their entire wealth on their datasets and I guess if were to evolve into the format he is suggesting would have to completely reshuffle.
The Public and State relationship on data will obviously remain a tender topic, as Alfie explains I doubt we'd be complaining if the state used these technologies to foil extremist plans, but at the same time any foreseen infringement on public data by the state is big news. The question is how surprised should we be that the state knows a thing or two about us and to what degree is this exaggerated in press?
I have a personal example in the link below:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2381451/Slough-spy-plane-detects-6-000-illegal-beds-sheds-thermal-imaging.html
According to the Daily Mail (not noted for the accuracy I must admit!), I supposedly fly around in a 'spy plane' for a living. :-) Which certainly does the job of making it sound more exciting. But who knew a lowly and fairly routine environmental survey would make such news...
For Sir Tim's ideas to develop I'd therefore argue it's more cultural perceptions both socially and in business formats which need to change. These changes might be quite sizable in some regards, but then I do remember a time when we were all terrified about putting our credit card details in a computer...
This concept makes me slightly uneasy, I know that the types of analysis that could be carried out are limitless and the distribution of resources and services could be managed much more effectively. I know that It would remove much of the need for painstakingly slow bureaucracy and streamline many everyday interactions. However I worry that so long as there are people with nefarious motives in the world the risks for me outweigh the benefits. Already criminal organisations use the web to gather intelligence on targets, targets for terrorism, fraud, murder, sexual exploitation and old fashioned theft.
ReplyDeleteBy making more data available about individuals are we not just handing these groups similar capabilities to the bodies we task with catching and stopping them. The rise in recent decades of cyber crime, cyber terrorism and cyber espionage has risen exponentially along with the types and quantities of data we have put on the web, either from social networking sites or financial and government institutions. Seldom does a week pass that some other tranche of personal data is not released unwillingly to precisely the people you would lest like to have it.
Until we have matured as a species, the architecture is in place to prevent misuse or dare I say it... we give the security forces more access to our personal data and activities i feel its best to limit what data we publish.
I might add to finish though that the simplest remedy in my mind would be to allow certain security forces access to private data. So long as it is only used in the prevention of crime and not made public or exploited for reasons other than security then what does it really matter. probably a controversial view lol.
Jonny
Found these links to Google Earth being used for attacks. Very interesting but very scary!
Deletehttp://www.pcworld.com/article/154684/article.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1539401/Terrorists-use-Google-maps-to-hit-UK-troops.html
I think the article highlights a number of benefit associated with the inevitable movement toward open data.
ReplyDeleteWhile the article is not very specific i agree that there is a myriad of data types that could be 'opened up' with next to no negative ramifications and vast efficiency improvements as a result. However the concern is with the more sensitive data which im sure many people would not want to be seen and i think that should be their choice. The difficulty is appreciating what is for sharing and what is not particularly as this will be different from person to person and business to business - trying to keep everyone happy is never easy.
As in typical human fashion no doubt 'open data' will be upon us before we know it after having jumped straight in and having to deal with any problems as they come as opposed to think what issues might be long the line.
It is impossible to predict what way data could be used. I am sure google never thought they would be helping plan attacks.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/154684/article.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1539401/Terrorists-use-Google-maps-to-hit-UK-troops.html
I suppose you cant let the misuse/actions of a few hold back the advancement for the many.
Mike
Working for an organisation that is "data rich", we are very interested in the open data debate. On a personal level I'm all for it, on a professional level my only concerns are around finance. We could release our data, but how do we ensure that in the continual rounds of budget cuts that are happening across the civil service, our budgets don't get cut to the extent we can no longer provide a decent product. This has been tackled across the water, where OSGB have been given a ring-fenced budget for the purpose of releasing their data. As yet there is no open data policy in Norn Iron, but it is being looked at as we speak!!
ReplyDeletethere is the concern that it will threaten the existence of national mapping agencies. I think it will strengthen our position, as it will allow skeptics to realise the richness of the data we hold and the business benefits to all that can be achieved by using spatial data to make every day business decisions. I see it as an opportunity for the small business sector to really grow in Northern Ireland a further afield!!
I think that data sharing has many advantages and many disadvantages; I agree that there may be problems with companies and their enthusiasm towards sharing their data. There would need to be steps taking to get companies involved. However I also agree that it is already happening and it is inevitable that it will increase in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe move towards open data sharing, especially with Sir Berners-Lee backing this and driving it forward, seems inevitable. In fact the process is already happening on some levels, as mentioned above on Facebook, and Google Maps. And while Google Maps (for example) has made life much easier and efficient (especially when I'm lost!), the concern for privacy and the sharing of sensitive information is something that cannot be overlooked (example of Google Street View, where car number plates can still be read at different angles, and the above example of Google Earth by Mike).
ReplyDeleteBecause of this, I agree with Tom, Natalie and Andrew that regulations need to be implemented in the interests of individual privacy and security. But who will devise these regulations? Will it be an individual country's government? And if so will there be consistency across the world?
However, there are many other types of data that could be openly shared and would greatly benefit individuals, students, researchers, businesses, charities, governments etc.
Data sharing is something that is already happening, perhaps more so with governments making their data available than private companies. EU governments have to make their data available under INSPIRE and just by looking at ArcGIS online we can see more downloadable data freely available which in my opinion is a good thing, with regards to census data, environmental data etc. but as has been commented above it is more the content of data being shared rather than the concept of sharing data that should be scrutinized.
ReplyDeletePrivacy is obviously the most worrying factor to consider and checks should be in place to ensure that an individuals privacy is not breached. There are also positives to data haring such as saving in cost for the user.
I believe Sir Berners Lee is correct in that the sharing of data is inevitable and I agree with his idea of companies, governments and organizations all sharing their data - as GIS users this can only be a bonus BUT certain things cannot be overlooked and I agree with the above who say their should be some sort of regulation in place to ensure privacy should not be breached and sensitive information is treated carefully.
In the article Sir Tim is very positive about the benefits of data sharing and how the power of data collaboration between governments and countries has the potential to create more businesses while also providing a better way of living. Sir Tim pushes the idea that open sharing of data can be used to do wonderful things, but as mentioned in many of the comments above unfortunately this is not necessarily true. In a utopian society the possibilities for data sharing could be endless. However a lot people seem to be sceptical of the power of data sharing and worry about personal information that could be made available on the web. At the moment there are no proper regulations in place to govern such a concept.
ReplyDeleteI think the power of the data web is in numbers and without the involvement of large groups, companies, countries etc. would the idea evolve to the level that Sir Tim mentions. In order for the concept to be successful more people would have to be open to the concept and willing to openly contribute data.
GIS could only benefit from access to more data, the only issues which could arise is the reliability and accuracy of data, especially on such a broad level.