Nurturing the Global Information Commons: Public Access, Public Infrastructure

Abstract

Abstract by C. Hess:

"In considering the development of the World Wide Web, this paper emphasizes the important difference between treating government information as a public service and treating it as a corporate asset. 'Computerization greatly facilitiates the commodification of information,' the author writes. And further 'information is a valuable asset, in computerized form it's especially easy to sell...'

"The author is a Canadian legal scholar. He is concerned primarily on governmental policies in Canada, specifically, British Columbia. 'For example, the B.C. government charges $600 per file for digital maps that cover less area than the paper topographical maps that sell for under $10.' Discussed are the pricing of electronic information, how the government uses the Internet, and the public's use of the Internet in relation to government matters."