Comments on: What Do They Know? Making Freedom of Information Requests Easy http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2009/03/09/what-do-they-know-making-freedom-of-information-requests-easy/ Exploring How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:21:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: maring http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2009/03/09/what-do-they-know-making-freedom-of-information-requests-easy/comment-page-1/#comment-258599 maring Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:52:48 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=2799#comment-258599 In the second paragraph Williams brings up an interesting point about how many people don't take advantage of the Networked information economy's ability to enhance democracy. Many people tend to stick to the traditional methods of communication, such as hierarchy for various reasons including their fear of breaking away from tradition. People greatly underestimate the information available to them via the internet, simply because it is easier to turn on the six o'clock news then to expand and research the news themselves. The problem with not breaking away from this tradition of turning away from the mass media for information is that you have less view points available to form your own opinion. Often, depending on what news station you watch, you get a completely different side or opinion of a story based on political and personal bias associated with the network. However, with sites like "What do they know" information is organized into smaller clusters based on interest, making more information more readily available to the masses. The excuse that the time and effort will outweigh the benefits, helps mass media to maintain control. The views proposed by Williams closely follow Benkler's autonomy vs. mass media ideas. WhatDoTheyKnow makes government information more easily accessible and transparent to the public. This transparency and ease of access allows citizens to become more active in their own government enhancing democracy. By giving people the practical autonomy to participate in government democracy is enhanced and the overall government system performs better to the true definition of democracy. In the second paragraph Williams brings up an interesting point about how many people don’t take advantage of the Networked information economy’s ability to enhance democracy. Many people tend to stick to the traditional methods of communication, such as hierarchy for various reasons including their fear of breaking away from tradition. People greatly underestimate the information available to them via the internet, simply because it is easier to turn on the six o’clock news then to expand and research the news themselves. The problem with not breaking away from this tradition of turning away from the mass media for information is that you have less view points available to form your own opinion. Often, depending on what news station you watch, you get a completely different side or opinion of a story based on political and personal bias associated with the network. However, with sites like “What do they know” information is organized into smaller clusters based on interest, making more information more readily available to the masses. The excuse that the time and effort will outweigh the benefits, helps mass media to maintain control. The views proposed by Williams closely follow Benkler’s autonomy vs. mass media ideas.

WhatDoTheyKnow makes government information more easily accessible and transparent to the public. This transparency and ease of access allows citizens to become more active in their own government enhancing democracy. By giving people the practical autonomy to participate in government democracy is enhanced and the overall government system performs better to the true definition of democracy.

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