[Opengenalliance] Discussion on SOG-UK

Javier Ruiz javier at openrightsgroup.org
Mon Apr 18 13:22:09 BST 2011


Dave

Thanks for pointing out that thread. It shows many of the challenges

Oner thing that is apparent from those emails is the need for a better
understanding of the implications of commercial digitisation,
particularly combined with increasing restrictions in access to
archives because of lack of funds.

Another issue that will be worth exploring is how often genealogy is
framed as just a "middle-class hobby". This is a very narrow point of
view of the individual, but family history very quickly becomes a
social issue of culture and national heritage. Indeed, given how
migration has spread people around the world you could say it goes
beyond national boundaries.

For us at ORG it is clearly framed within the wider discussions on the
digitisation of Culture with the typical aspects we see elsewhere:
intellectual property conflicts between public domain advocates and
commercial interests (both public and private), disruptive
technologies, struggles to find sustainable business models, etc.

The debate for us is not between the convenience and value for money
of commercial websites versus the government offering the same service
cheaper or free.  I think that the SoG folk will not find people more
opposed to big government IT projects than digital activists!

In this blog the SoG outlines some more discussions with a reply:

http://www.societyofgenealogists.com/the-open-genealogy-alliance-divides-the-family-history-community/


best, Javier




On 18 April 2011 11:47, Dave Cross <dave at dave.org.uk> wrote:
>
> Back in March, I mentioned the OpenGenAlliance on the Society of
> Genealogists' mailing list. Reaction wasn't exactly positive.
>
> http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SOG-UK/2011-03/1299072840
>
> Cheers,
>
> Dave...
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Opengenalliance mailing list
> Opengenalliance at lists.openrightsgroup.org
> http://lists.openrightsgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/opengenalliance
>



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