[WSIS CS-Plenary] open access versus open content

[Parminder]

Dear Atanu,

Yes, I agree that the open content paradigm is a better construct than open
access, and will include the later.

The Geneva POA fails to address this issue, and most discussions on this
list also seem to skirt it. 

Open access is a knowledge sharing/transfer paradigm for those who already
are engaged substantially with such processes. 

As you rightly point out >>> open access which currently refers to
academic/ scientific publishing >>>

But there is a very vast number of people, whom development discourses are
meant to address most, who do not at present engage in any substantial
manner with civilisational knowledge sharing/transfer processes at levels
beyond narrow geographical and cultural confines. 

We do not at present speak much about the legal/IPR/free-access issues for
knowledge needs of these people because there just aren't any effective
processes and conduits for knowledge sharing/transfer for them at present.
Print-literacy as a technology had a great impact, but the limitations are
as glaring. 

However, new ICTs promise to lay down a technological infrastructure for
unlimited knowledge sharing/transfer even for these people. Immediately
then, the issue of legal free access to the needed content for these people
becomes the central question. 

A field project that we are putting up for digital audio-visual content for
poor rural women in India is already running into the problem of sourcing
digital developmental content. Even agencies working for development -
including government agencies - often do not understand the need of,  or a
IP regime paradigm for, freely copying development content that in any case
is made with the purpose to reach as many people in need as possible. 

An open content paradigm for development content is as much or more of a
pressing need as the open access paradigm, as it is currently understood and
applied. 

Regards

Parminder 











______________________________________
Parminder Jeet Singh
IT for Change, Bangalore
Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities
www.ITforChange.net
Ph: 91 80 2665 4134
Mobile: 91 98 4594 9445
 
-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org] On Behalf
Of Atanu Garai
Sent: 08 April 2005 10:34
To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU and open access recommendations of WSIS

It seems that the issue of open content (I would prefer the term open
content as it is broader in scope than open access which currently refers to
academic/ scientific publishing. Open access is now practiced more or less
in scientific information only - for instance D-Space instances of MIT) can
be mapped within the WGIG issues basket (content?). despite of the great
advocacy efforts of the open access communities, the message has not been
translated into WSIS policy.

/Atanu

-----Original Message-----
From: plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:plenary-admin at wsis-cs.org]On
Behalf Of karen banks
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 1:15 PM
To: plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] ITU and open access recommendations of
WSIS


dear parminder and all

I agree with you that ITU's case needs to be reviewed. Most of the UN
>organisations have book sale facilities, but at the same time, unlike ITU,
a
>good amount of the titles are made available through websites as well,
>typical example UNESCO and World Bank. If we have to implement the POA
text,
>ITU should open its repository of knowledge.

i'm interested in this particularly at the moment as the WGIG is finalising
the 'assessment' papers of existing governance mechanisms in respect the
'basket' of issues identified as important in the governance landscape.

there is one section on content accessibility and i would really appreciate
more/additional factual comments as regards the extent to which
organisations - particularly UN agencies, make their content available, and
under what circumstances - but also, interested in government policies that
promote open access models..

would need this pretty quickly though.. and, the info needs to be as brief
and succinct as possible..

karen


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