[Opengenalliance] some practical projects

Javier Ruiz javier at openrightsgroup.org
Mon Apr 18 14:17:34 BST 2011


Dear all


We would like the list to have an aspect of discussion and debate
about these issues but also to help organise some concrete projects.
Here are a couple of initiatives we are currently pursuing:

ONLINE BMD INDEX

We are in touch with the General Registry Office trying to find ways
for groups to contribute to the online index of BMD. So far the whole
project is in the freezer and under full review, but we are trying to
have some preliminary discussions with them so the review contemplates
alternative approaches. With FreeBMD experience and materials this
should be a no-brainer.

In reality it is proving very difficult, as we are being classified as
another commercial provider (similar case with TNA in some other
areas), while what we want is to explore how to structure projects to
enable volunteer groups to contribute, and where they need some
commercial work be able to separate it. This is particularly
complicated here, as the original project was a white elephant linking
historical genealogy databases with the whole national identity system
across all government departments!

Now we are looking for ways into other government departments that may
circumvent the GRO, such as Cabinet office, Big Society ministers,
etc. If anyone has contacts there it would be very helpful.

We are also looking at other possible projects involving participatory
scanning or transcription and open access.

MODELLING THE UK GENEALOGY SECTOR

The most common objection to our proposals is that alternatives to the
status quo are not viable. In order to better understand the economics
of the sector and how new models could be sustained we have started to
work on mapping and analysing the flows of data, money and licenses
across public archives, commercial operations and volunteer groups.

I have started collecting information and contacting people who can
help. We are looking at company information, charity public accounts,
price lists for CDs, reports form TNA and other institutions on
digitisation deals, etc.

The idea is not to have a full economic study of the sector -- as this
would be too expensive -- but some basic figures, and a "good enough'
understanding of how value is created and costs and benefits
distributed.

>From this list Adrian Norman has already committed to help with his
wealth of combined experience on both genealogy and Public Sector
Information.

If you are interested in any of these or have any specific ideas just
write here. At some point we will continue elsewhere to avoid swamping
this list with minutia.


Javier



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