Why data can be open and free
Digital economy contributes to the emergence of many new things, events, technologies and models that were previously simply unthinkable or demanded exceptional costs.
Among such innovations of digitalization, against the background of the general trend of managing data flows, the phenomenon of "open data" has emerged. You should deal with it separately in order to understand all its advantages and disadvantages for further effective practical application.
Today, it is impossible not to notice the accelerating process of free and free disclosure of digital data from both the state and business. Communities are formed), summits are held), contests are organized and portals are made. But still I want to understand and understand the meaning of this direction of digitalization of economic relations and what benefits it can bring with the right approach.
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Note. The focus of this paper is on the economic and managerial sense of free and free distribution of digital data. The social and political role of open data is not denied and, of course, deserves a separate publication.
Let us agree that the digital data in question in this publication are structured, connected, integral information units. Unlike unstructured texts or analog ones, the data under consideration is obviously amenable to processing and analysis at the level of individual significant units, their connections and groupings, thereby allowing to get some secondary results (conclusions and conclusions), including constructing hypotheses within the framework of the presented subject areas . Based on the possibilities of such direct or deep processing, the data express a powerful information resource that has a special economic meaning.
The data collected by a person about his activity register certain facts, events, states of objects and processes for the subsequent evaluation of such activities and the selection of those actions that need to be carried out later to obtain some expected probabilistic result. The development of information technologies, the size of accumulated data files and the ability to automate their processing, turned digital data into a real business factor, allowing you to find solutions to many problems with a high level of saving time and material resources - which is extremely important for efficiency and optimized management in any sector: private , state or social.
Like any kind of intangible resources, digital data has one interesting feature that radically distinguishes them from material things.
We all know about it and use it everywhere. It lies in the fact that those that do not really exist and are tied in the physical sense only to the carrier, the data can be replicated an infinite number of times without losing the original volume and quality.
Data is such an "eternal" and at the same time "infinite" resource. At the same time from the same data can be obtained simultaneously several useful results. Moreover, it is possible to distribute one set of data between an unlimited circle of people, but at the same time physically it is impossible to replicate a material resource and distribute it to everyone who wants it.
Fixing this remarkable ability of digital information, let us turn to the traditional concept of open data that has emerged at present.
Immediately, we note that the concept of “open data” is absolutely uniquely their direct accessibility without any restrictions. Most of all for the digital economy in this sense, the value of such data is “ free ”. Although, by the way, “free of charge” this is somewhat arbitrary and does not mean using open data completely at no cost, but it shows that sufficiently large data sets are distributed free of charge to recipients (including no royalties). The subsequent data processing, of course, entails certain costs, as well as the publication of their ready-made sets leads to quite understandable direct costs.
Let us dwell on the reasons why, after all, in the era of total digitalization, when “information rules the world” and the cost of some information can reach astronomical figures, there is not only an opportunity, but also a need for data distributed for free.
Indeed, what's the point of opening arrays of significant data, sometimes with direct or hidden commercial potential, to a wide range of people. We do not forget that the consumers of such data are not ordinary users of the network at all and not even small and medium-sized businesses. These categories are not able, because of their professional and material capabilities, and also because of their immediate needs and tasks, to perceive the powerful streams of digital data being opened from various subject areas.
There must be something third or someone third who can use open data and turn it into something useful for a given range of consumers. And the subject who publishes data in free access is well aware that this very “third” is an intermediary, potentially capable of extracting additional benefits from the use of data.
But what then is the interest of the person who publishes the data in the public domain?
Why make additional efforts, attract professionals, allocate resources, maintain the system in working condition, if the result of all this is some kind of possible appearance of other people who benefit from it.
Replication of data and its distribution to third parties does not entail significant limiting costs. But after all, the relative free of charge only removes the main economic barrier, but is not a motive. The motivation of publishers is somewhat deeper than it seems at first glance, and even slightly different than some interested participants in the data discovery process want it to show. In order to understand it, besides the remarkable possibility of digital data to be multiplied many times, it is necessary to take into account one more factor actively motivating the “opening” of the state and business.
The universal informatization and deep penetration of the global network has led to the fact that various organizational structures and even some individuals can create and accumulate an “excess” amount of data. The race of “informational armament” stimulates a multiple increase in the amount of stored “numbers” of completely different purposes and formats. Moreover, the data owners are not able to get the most out of their digital storages because:
The entity generating the data and storing it understands that the valuable resource is closed from other users and quietly rests on the carriers, without bringing proper benefits and gradually losing its value by reducing its relevance. At the same time, he is well aware that he himself does not and cannot receive from the data the maximum beneficial effect simply because of his resource, professional and creative limitations, skillfully arranged by the laws of the ruthless economic theory of alternative choice. In other words, when working with large amounts of data, one has to choose a finite number of solutions for their analysis and use.
Most of the options simply can not be implemented in the framework of exclusive ownership of digital information.
And even more so in the framework of closed data sets, the practically infinite potential of combining digital information cannot be realized.
The third-party person who has obtained access to the published data has the right to apply any alternative to the solution that has not been used or has not been used by their owner and on the basis of the same data to get an extremely useful result.
A consumer of open data may well even suggest new effective solutions and technologies within a given data set and target domain. This is where the issue of publishing data is open and free. How not to take advantage of a single economic resource that is comparable in its unlimited use to endless human needs.
The data has become really too much to get maximum benefit from them in the closed mode.
The best effect can be achieved not only by a sudden one-time ingenious solution, but also by searching for various alternatives. And, as before, it is very difficult to predict the success and quality of processing and analysis of various sets and combinations of data sets. The more complex and structured the digital data is, the more creative and professional expenses (in the domain), as well as time and information technology (machine resource) are required.
We conclude that the real and most important motive for publishing data in a free mode is the need to find new solutions, new methods, models and technologies - new knowledge in the designated subject area.
What actually confirms the accompanying open data, numerous hackathons and contests. And this is absolutely correct and understandable - only by joint efforts with feedback can one “revitalize” historical data sets and obtain truly important results based on them.
There may be a misleading impression about the altruism of the provider of free data. This is absolutely not true. In any case, it should not be so. Publication of open and free data is not an end in itself for the publisher. His main opportunity and responsibility in this process is precisely to establish feedback to obtain interesting and useful new solutions and even competencies created on the data published by him.
To summarize
Correct, i.e. The real benefit, the motivation for open publication of data is reduced to searching on their base of new knowledge and solutions.
Therefore, there is no point in setting a fee for using such data or restricting its distribution. And it makes sense to involve in the work with published data both individual experts and professional communities or businesses, receiving important feedback from them.
The phenomenon of free data is due to its appearance:
Openly published data is largely endowed with the same features as ordinary transactional data, including large amounts (big data). It also has its own problems and features of use in substantive analysis, with which it is necessary to deal separately.
When considering such a topic as “open data”, one should look a bit more broadly and evaluate it not only from the point of view of data opened by the state. Business is no less interested in free disclosure of data, but it has its own exclusive tasks and interests. At the same time, the digital world requires each participant to provide personal information and personal data. And all these openly published information should not be mixed into one “heap” - for one simple reason: each of these types of data is managed differently.
But about this, perhaps, next time ...
Among such innovations of digitalization, against the background of the general trend of managing data flows, the phenomenon of "open data" has emerged. You should deal with it separately in order to understand all its advantages and disadvantages for further effective practical application.
Today, it is impossible not to notice the accelerating process of free and free disclosure of digital data from both the state and business. Communities are formed), summits are held), contests are organized and portals are made. But still I want to understand and understand the meaning of this direction of digitalization of economic relations and what benefits it can bring with the right approach.
')
Note. The focus of this paper is on the economic and managerial sense of free and free distribution of digital data. The social and political role of open data is not denied and, of course, deserves a separate publication.
Let us agree that the digital data in question in this publication are structured, connected, integral information units. Unlike unstructured texts or analog ones, the data under consideration is obviously amenable to processing and analysis at the level of individual significant units, their connections and groupings, thereby allowing to get some secondary results (conclusions and conclusions), including constructing hypotheses within the framework of the presented subject areas . Based on the possibilities of such direct or deep processing, the data express a powerful information resource that has a special economic meaning.
The data collected by a person about his activity register certain facts, events, states of objects and processes for the subsequent evaluation of such activities and the selection of those actions that need to be carried out later to obtain some expected probabilistic result. The development of information technologies, the size of accumulated data files and the ability to automate their processing, turned digital data into a real business factor, allowing you to find solutions to many problems with a high level of saving time and material resources - which is extremely important for efficiency and optimized management in any sector: private , state or social.
Like any kind of intangible resources, digital data has one interesting feature that radically distinguishes them from material things.
We all know about it and use it everywhere. It lies in the fact that those that do not really exist and are tied in the physical sense only to the carrier, the data can be replicated an infinite number of times without losing the original volume and quality.
Data is such an "eternal" and at the same time "infinite" resource. At the same time from the same data can be obtained simultaneously several useful results. Moreover, it is possible to distribute one set of data between an unlimited circle of people, but at the same time physically it is impossible to replicate a material resource and distribute it to everyone who wants it.
Fixing this remarkable ability of digital information, let us turn to the traditional concept of open data that has emerged at present.
Here are some definitions of “open data”
From the Open Data Handbook :
“Open data is information that anyone can freely use and share. Only the requirements to indicate the source of the data and distribute them under the same conditions as the original ones are permissible.
The complete definition of openness reveals in detail what this means. Highlight the most important:
1. Accessibility and readability: the data should be available in its entirety no more than the reasonable cost of reproducing them; preferably via the Internet. The data format should be easy to read and modify.
2. Reuse and distribution: data should be provided on terms that permit their reuse and distribution, including in combination with other data sets.
3. Universal participation: everyone should be able to use and share data. There should be no discrimination in the fields of application, people or groups. For example, the restriction “for non-commercial use only”, which prohibits “commercial” use, or the restriction of possible areas of application (for example, only in education) is unacceptable. ”
Translation from Open Data Charter :
“Open data is digital data that is made available technically and legally for free use, reuse and distribution by anyone and anyone, anytime and anywhere.”
And a few open data principles from Ivan Begtin’s publication “On why Sberbank’s“ open data ”is not open data and what we should do about it”:
“Also, open data has clearly formulated principles for their publication, reflected precisely in the charter of open data.
These principles are:
- Default openness
- timely and full
- Accessible and convenient
- Comparable and integrable
- To improve governance and citizen engagement
“For development and innovation.”
Immediately, we note that the concept of “open data” is absolutely uniquely their direct accessibility without any restrictions. Most of all for the digital economy in this sense, the value of such data is “ free ”. Although, by the way, “free of charge” this is somewhat arbitrary and does not mean using open data completely at no cost, but it shows that sufficiently large data sets are distributed free of charge to recipients (including no royalties). The subsequent data processing, of course, entails certain costs, as well as the publication of their ready-made sets leads to quite understandable direct costs.
Let us dwell on the reasons why, after all, in the era of total digitalization, when “information rules the world” and the cost of some information can reach astronomical figures, there is not only an opportunity, but also a need for data distributed for free.
Indeed, what's the point of opening arrays of significant data, sometimes with direct or hidden commercial potential, to a wide range of people. We do not forget that the consumers of such data are not ordinary users of the network at all and not even small and medium-sized businesses. These categories are not able, because of their professional and material capabilities, and also because of their immediate needs and tasks, to perceive the powerful streams of digital data being opened from various subject areas.
Say, if it comes to data opened by the state in the framework of the so-called "open government"
There is no practical sense in “flat” sets of digital data available to a huge number of ordinary citizens, whose competence and interests do not closely include the understanding of spreadsheets, visualization, statistical analytics, assessment of reliability, etc. How can it somehow “bring together” the positions of state bodies and civil society, for example, simply uploading socially important data in XML format? Will it be useful for an ordinary taxpayer to publish digital data on the expenditures of the aggregate state budget for a given fiscal year and will he be able to figure out how efficiently and where the taxes collected from him go?
It seems not.
It seems not.
There must be something third or someone third who can use open data and turn it into something useful for a given range of consumers. And the subject who publishes data in free access is well aware that this very “third” is an intermediary, potentially capable of extracting additional benefits from the use of data.
But what then is the interest of the person who publishes the data in the public domain?
Why make additional efforts, attract professionals, allocate resources, maintain the system in working condition, if the result of all this is some kind of possible appearance of other people who benefit from it.
Replication of data and its distribution to third parties does not entail significant limiting costs. But after all, the relative free of charge only removes the main economic barrier, but is not a motive. The motivation of publishers is somewhat deeper than it seems at first glance, and even slightly different than some interested participants in the data discovery process want it to show. In order to understand it, besides the remarkable possibility of digital data to be multiplied many times, it is necessary to take into account one more factor actively motivating the “opening” of the state and business.
Search for new knowledge based on available (accumulated) historical data
The universal informatization and deep penetration of the global network has led to the fact that various organizational structures and even some individuals can create and accumulate an “excess” amount of data. The race of “informational armament” stimulates a multiple increase in the amount of stored “numbers” of completely different purposes and formats. Moreover, the data owners are not able to get the most out of their digital storages because:
- First, the repositories are really full of heterogeneous, weakly or indistinctly bound data;
- Secondly, on the basis of a single data set, an infinite number of results can be obtained and the choice of priorities is absolutely not obvious here;
- Third, the combination of data is possible any number of times and in links with other external data;
- Fourthly, to obtain a certain category of results based on data, it is necessary to apply special and special competences, technical or software tools, which may be missing from the data owner;
- Fifthly, critical self-assessment of data is difficult and for their audit a differentiated involvement of specialists is required;
- Sixth, a different motivation may suggest new ways and methods of working with data, new options for aggregating and combining data.
The entity generating the data and storing it understands that the valuable resource is closed from other users and quietly rests on the carriers, without bringing proper benefits and gradually losing its value by reducing its relevance. At the same time, he is well aware that he himself does not and cannot receive from the data the maximum beneficial effect simply because of his resource, professional and creative limitations, skillfully arranged by the laws of the ruthless economic theory of alternative choice. In other words, when working with large amounts of data, one has to choose a finite number of solutions for their analysis and use.
Most of the options simply can not be implemented in the framework of exclusive ownership of digital information.
And even more so in the framework of closed data sets, the practically infinite potential of combining digital information cannot be realized.
The third-party person who has obtained access to the published data has the right to apply any alternative to the solution that has not been used or has not been used by their owner and on the basis of the same data to get an extremely useful result.
A consumer of open data may well even suggest new effective solutions and technologies within a given data set and target domain. This is where the issue of publishing data is open and free. How not to take advantage of a single economic resource that is comparable in its unlimited use to endless human needs.
The data has become really too much to get maximum benefit from them in the closed mode.
The best effect can be achieved not only by a sudden one-time ingenious solution, but also by searching for various alternatives. And, as before, it is very difficult to predict the success and quality of processing and analysis of various sets and combinations of data sets. The more complex and structured the digital data is, the more creative and professional expenses (in the domain), as well as time and information technology (machine resource) are required.
We conclude that the real and most important motive for publishing data in a free mode is the need to find new solutions, new methods, models and technologies - new knowledge in the designated subject area.
What actually confirms the accompanying open data, numerous hackathons and contests. And this is absolutely correct and understandable - only by joint efforts with feedback can one “revitalize” historical data sets and obtain truly important results based on them.
Of course, each individual person or employee may have different motives for encouraging them to disclose data or to somehow participate in this process.
If you delve into internal management, it quickly turns out that there is also a secondary motivation, which sometimes adversely affects any managerial changes.
Open data is no exception.
For example, a completely obvious and deliberate initiative at the level of the organization’s leadership can be so “ingeniously” supported by the implementers that the experts will not even have enough censor terms to describe the situation. But this is a topic for a completely different conversation or even research.
Open data is no exception.
For example, a completely obvious and deliberate initiative at the level of the organization’s leadership can be so “ingeniously” supported by the implementers that the experts will not even have enough censor terms to describe the situation. But this is a topic for a completely different conversation or even research.
There may be a misleading impression about the altruism of the provider of free data. This is absolutely not true. In any case, it should not be so. Publication of open and free data is not an end in itself for the publisher. His main opportunity and responsibility in this process is precisely to establish feedback to obtain interesting and useful new solutions and even competencies created on the data published by him.
To summarize
Correct, i.e. The real benefit, the motivation for open publication of data is reduced to searching on their base of new knowledge and solutions.
Therefore, there is no point in setting a fee for using such data or restricting its distribution. And it makes sense to involve in the work with published data both individual experts and professional communities or businesses, receiving important feedback from them.
The phenomenon of free data is due to its appearance:
- excess data - the volume of generated and stored data exceeded the capabilities of some subjects in their processing and analysis;
- the ability to replicate data for free - the peculiarity of digital data is that they can be copied and transferred freely and repeatedly to each user;
- the infinite variability of the search for knowledge - the multiplicity of data processing options leads to the need to involve a wide range of people for their analysis and search for new knowledge, without introducing restrictive qualification or other requirements;
- difficulties in assessing the true value of data — until a truly “magical” result is obtained on the basis of specific data (that is, until truly valuable commercially significant knowledge is generated) it is unclear what price to assign for the data and who will pay for it;
- no risk of data corruption - even if incorrect solutions or ineffective models are obtained on the data, this will not affect the initial data (they cannot be lost or broken as a result of misuse) and, moreover, negative results obtained by third parties will not affect the reputation the publisher.
Important note on state and commercial secrets
The considered motivation and the “free of charge” factor removes the main economic restriction on the distribution of some, but not all, data. Outside of the technologies and practices of free disclosure, there are and will remain obvious competitively significant data, as well as data whose distribution threatens security and increases external (any) risks for their owner. Publication of data in the open mode for an unlimited circle of people is not a story from the field of commercial or state secrets. Although in a sense, open data is an excellent reason for critically rethinking the criteria for classifying data as “commercial” (“state”) secrecy. In this sense, the digital economy raises the really important question of what and how important information should be closed from distribution, protecting your own business, and what and how important information should be disclosed to the market (business community), in order to take advantage of the “digital effect” by attracting new experts and getting new knowledge.
Openly published data is largely endowed with the same features as ordinary transactional data, including large amounts (big data). It also has its own problems and features of use in substantive analysis, with which it is necessary to deal separately.
When considering such a topic as “open data”, one should look a bit more broadly and evaluate it not only from the point of view of data opened by the state. Business is no less interested in free disclosure of data, but it has its own exclusive tasks and interests. At the same time, the digital world requires each participant to provide personal information and personal data. And all these openly published information should not be mixed into one “heap” - for one simple reason: each of these types of data is managed differently.
But about this, perhaps, next time ...
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/319920/
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