[CODATA-international] Digital Feudalism

Sat Oct 12 13:51:06 EDT 2019

Dear Geoff, Kassim et al,

thanks indeed for bringing this up. I was missing such views here for a
long time...

We and others have published on those things, digital terror,
unsustainability etc. for long time
As a matter of fact, there are entire disciplines that
cover failure of capitalism, neoliberalism, computing and the western
mindset,
the world from James Cook onwards.
I suggest you can simply start there and see how one-sided most informatics
and data people
still are.

Compare that for instance with
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Side-Modernity-Jeffrey-Alexander/dp/0745648223

There is not much ideology in this, simply looking at facts and reality.
I suggest we can have a more relevant progress.

It starts with transparency, open access data sharing and metadata though.
I lack seeing that a lot, certainly in the sciences,in the EU and in
environmental,
sustainability and climate issues and such governance, development aid
included.
Industry is pretty bad in this, so are all royal governances I know, FIFA
and the olympics (see role models there).

Happy to learn here; thanks again

  Falk Huettmann PhD, Professor
     Uni of Alaska Fairbanks

On Sat, Oct 12, 2019 at 12:06 AM BOULTON Geoffrey <Geoff.Boulton at ed.ac.uk>
wrote:

> Dear Correspondents
>
> What has been described in the various letters is a process that has
> become clearer over the years, and which is now well documented. Together
> with several colleagues (Kenya, Botswana, Senegal) I have been doing some
> work for the African Science Granting Councils (19 African States) that
> analyses advantages and disadvantages for Africa of federated open science
> practices, together with the policies required to deliver them to best
> effect. The issues you have all described are being addressed, such that we
> hope the Granting Councils will address them, together with International
> Partners. It would be very helpful if we were able to call on your
> experiences as evidence. Would any of you be prepared to write a paragraph
> or two about particular instances that highlight key problems?
>
> All good wishes
>
> Geoffrey Boulton
> CODATA Past President
>
>
> Geoffrey Boulton OBE FRS FRSE
> Regius Professor of Geology Emeritus
> University of Edinburgh
> Grant Institute, Kings Buildings
> Edinburgh EH9 3JW
> 44 (0)131 667 2531
> Mob: 44 (0)7590978510
> Website: www.geos.ed.ac.uk/homes/gboulton
>
>
> On 12 Oct 2019, at 00:46, Mwitondi, Kassim <K.Mwitondi at shu.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> This is an instance of a biased data ownership. A few years ago I was
> working with a young African researcher on an agro-forestry research
> project. No sooner had we started than I realused that her centre had only
> some descriptive statistics but no direct access to the biomass data which
> she and her colleagues had spent months collecting from two islands! The
> vast chunk of the data had left with the development partners at the end of
> the project. It turned out, nobody at the centre had any knowledge or
> pressing interest to pursue the data and there was already new initiatives
> to run another project, which in my view was almost a duplicate of the
> first, but this time with a different development partner.
>
> To cut the long story short, I have come across several cases of data
> ownership of this nature and my view is that it doesn't help much coining
> terminologies, as the best that can be achieved is a blame culture. Would I
> call that data capitalism? Colonialism? Feudalism? I never would! I have
> learnt, over the years, that proper problem identification is a major
> stride in working out the solution. Blaming it on one part marginalizing
> the other when it comes to data generation, access and ownership is
> stripping everyone on the project of a fundamental responsibility in
> managing the project.
>
> Apparently, the problem starts with the project write-up. If the project
> recipient is fully engaged from project initiation to delivery, they surely
> should know how to access the data, as that is a key project deliverable.
> My personal experience is that there are a several factors that lead to
> this kind of situation. One, many project ideas are top-down, that is, they
> are not developed within the working conditions of the recipients. Two,
> there are often many gaps in engagement, mainly caused by near disparate
> motives on many projects, with the funders, experts and recipients not
> necessarily having the same perception, motives or knowledge. Put the two
> together and add the determined project timeline, you have a near disaster.
> But the tripartite interests to run projects continues and we are creating
> a vicious cycle. What is the solution? It must start from the recipients
> who must align each incoming project with their respective development
> strategies. They must present themselves as equal partners in defining the
> project problem and tracking and measuring its outcomes. They should be
> able to quantifiable identify what worked and what didn't and any there
> should be national institutions charged with such responsibility. I could
> be writing all night, I would rather stop here for now.
>
> Thanks.
>
> KSM
>
> Dr Kassim S. Mwitondi
> Sheffield Hallam University
> Faculty of Science, Technology and Arts
> Communication & Computing Research Centre
> 9410 Cantor Building, City Campus
> 153 Arundel Street
> Sheffield, S1 2NU
> United Kingdom
> Tel. +44-114-2256914 (Direct)
> Tel. +44-114-2255555 (General)
> https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/kassim-mwitondi
> ------------------------------
> *From:* CODATA-international <
> codata-international-bounces at lists.codata.org> on behalf of Trimpact -
> Niek <niek at trimpact.nl>
> *Sent:* 11 October 2019 18:12:22
> *To:* 'Ernie Boyko' <boykern at yahoo.com>; 'CODATA International' <
> codata-international at lists.codata.org>; 'Suchith Anand' <
> Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>
> *Subject:* Re: [CODATA-international] Digital Feudalism
>
> Dear all,
>
>
> This is indeed a huge problem. I also recently learned that information
> data from NGOs are best perhaps shared with some ministries in Bamako,
> Mali, but not within a region where the work is being done. This implies
> that local decision makers remain dependant on the information/data stream
> back from the ministries which may take some months, if ever. This can
> never be the purpose of the work executed.
>
>
> Since most of the projects are financed with public funding for the
> benefit of de people in the given (development) country and
> data/information belong in fact to the real funds provider of the work
> (i.e. tax payers), claims of intellectual property rights that data belong
> to the project executors seem not applicable. Consequently, data and other
> information (e.g. lessons learned) should be shared at large to the
> population and other relevant stakeholders to avoid duplication of efforts.
>
>
> A discussion worthwhile to be continued.
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
> Dr. Niek van Duivenbooden
>
>
> <image001.png>  *Bringing value to life*
>
>
> Mezenlaan 138  -  6951 HR Dieren  -  The Netherlands – T +31 61 13 81 061
> KvK: 64218422   - niek at trimpact.nl - www.Trimpact.nl
> <http://www.trimpact.nl/>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *Van:* CODATA-international <codata-international-bounces at lists.codata.org
> > *Namens *Ernie Boyko
> *Verzonden:* vrijdag 11 oktober 2019 15:26
> *Aan:* CODATA International <codata-international at lists.codata.org>;
> Suchith Anand <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk>
> *Onderwerp:* Re: [CODATA-international] Digital Feudalism
>
>
> Thank you Suchith,
> I have not heard that term before but I did run into   related term this
> week at the DDI-CODATA workshop here in Dagstuhl.  The term is Data
> Colonialism.  This often happens when a foreign entity (e.g., a development
> agency/project).e data are collected in a developing country and are taken
> out of the country.  They will leave behind some summary tables but will
> take the rich data and metadata away.  This makes it difficult to develop
> the data analysis and management skills within the country.
>
>
> Thanks for the message.
>
>
> Cheers, Ernie
> +1-613-290-2804
> *Larrimac:  More than a golf course!*
> *CODATA: Making data work together to improve science to support decision
> makers.*
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Friday, October 11, 2019, 08:51:29 AM EDT, Suchith Anand <
> Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I came across a recent op-ed by Prof. Mariana Mazzucato on “Digital
> Feudalism”  at
>
>
>
> https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/platform-economy-digital-feudalism-by-mariana-mazzucato-2019-10?utm_source=Project+Syndicate+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d192f2bc47-sunday_newsletter_6_10_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_73bad5b7d8-d192f2bc47-105013549&mc_cid=d192f2bc47&mc_eid=a8cee90b20
>
>
> Prof. Mazzucato is a leading researcher and thinker on Technology and
> Innovation, advisor to the European Commission on research and innovation
> strategy, and author of two important books on the subject “The Value of
> Everything” and “The Entrepreneurial State”.
>
>
> The report on “Mission-oriented Research and Innovation in the European
> Union” might be of interest
>
> https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/mazzucato_report_2018.pdf
>
>
> Since the use of cloud platforms for GIS data analysis is having a huge
> impact on the GIS community, the subject is of relevance. I would like
> learn more on this
>
>    1. Are there any examples of Digital Feudalism in GIS?
>    2. How will Digital Feudalism in GIS affect our future generations?
>    3. What policies are governments, regulators doing to reduce Digital
>    Feudalism in GIS?
>    4. What policies and curriculum are universities, educators adopting
>    to reduce Digital Feudalism in GIS?
>
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
> Suchith
>
>
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