Re: maybe OT - values of CivicAccess
Posted by
Tracey P. Lauriault on
URL: http://civicaccess.416.s1.nabble.com/maybe-OT-values-of-CivicAccess-tp1420p1438.html
I am also really interested in conversations about libertarian direct democracy ideologies being embedded into Internet governance tool development, and a lack of deep democracy - real activism as seen in Internet projects like Make Poverty History and a questionning of governance structures, ideologies and agendas of the people who come together to support certain tools. Tools, data and infrastructures are not neutral they have politics programmed into (code and social code) them, and it is the thinking of the politics in these that are really important.
On Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 12:33 PM, Christopher D. Ritter
<[hidden email]> wrote:
Michael had mentioned some concerns regarding the difference between:
1. 'Open Access' which allows citizens to freely access their government data.
2. 'Open Governance' which allows citizens to interact with their government data.
Personally, I'm subscribed to two different email lists. Apart from CivicAccess, the Metagovernment Mailling list focuses on the second point by developing numerous open source 'open governance' applications.
While I remain a huge supporter of open governance -- as I believe that we should not only have access to our data, but also have access to tools which allow us to manage our goverment data (including our votes) -- California Issue 8 brought about the same concerns Michael had originally mentioned.
Specifically, non-gay (aka Straight) voters had the option to approve or deny the rights of gay couples to legally marry and adopt children. I believe this is an excellent example of the majority determining the rights of a minority, and I wonder if this might be further amplified in an open governance scenario?
On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 4:44 PM, Jennifer Bell
<[hidden email]> wrote:
I see. And you feel that this multiplicity of backgrounds was being ignored before?
I'm curious what the specific trigger was for this thread...
Jennifer
visiblegovernment.ca
--- On Fri, 11/21/08, Hugh McGuire <[hidden email]> wrote:
> From: Hugh McGuire <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [CivicAccess-discuss] maybe OT - values of CivicAccess
> To: [hidden email], "civicaccess discuss" <[hidden email]>
> Received: Friday, November 21, 2008, 3:35 PM
> > I'm curious: what makes you think the values of
> Civic Access are being shanghied?
> not speaking for michael, but i don't think there is a
> concern that values of of CivicAccess are being shanghied.
> rather a desire to recognize that the collection of people
> her come from different philosophical and practical angles.
>
> strangely, though I know michael well, i never really
> understood why my particular concern about open data -- that
> is, "better decision-making" -- was not
> michael's interest in the issue. I never quite got what
> his interest was ... answered in his last post: a question
> of justice: ie, all citizens should have access to the same
> benefits from the government, not just corporates who can
> afford to pay high feeds for government data.
>
> that makes for a very different take on things, as does a
> desire for more efficiency, better tax/spending
> accountability etc.
>
> they are all different reasons for being interested in
> civic access issues ...
>
> so not to put words in michael's mouth, i'll
> instead say what I think about all this: the issue of civic
> access is important enough that a broad coalition of
> people/groups can support it, without having to agree on the
> reason for *why* they want civic access to happen...but we
> should also remember that the group here spans the political
> and philosophical spectrum.
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Tracey P. Lauriault
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https://gcrc.carleton.ca/confluence/display/GCRCWEB/Lauriault