Tom Watson (not the politician) has a very perceptive piece on Julian Assange, and how hacking into government systems to free information has, in the short term at least, has created a fear factor that’s made the system less open:
Slapping up stolen emails in partnership with hackers was supposed to be the early life Assange left behind when he got religion for government reform; providing a mechanism for legitimate whistleblowers to get their stories to journalists and the public was the social entrepreneur’s golden promise behind WikiLeaks, a promise that attracted a wide range of supporters. “We Open Governments” seems so dated now, and if fairly considered, the very opposite of what WikiLeaks has accomplished.
And yet, open data seems to be what the new platforms are calling for…
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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