USA gives out free tablet nav charts

[sarabande]

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130520_charts.html


Looks like a good app, and with lots of data and metadata included. It'sa trial system for this summer only.


Now if UKHO ever saw that and wondered ......

 

[Jabamusic]

Fat chance that it will put the proverbial cat amongst the UKHO pigeons though :-(

 

[MASH]

The US and UK have dramatically different approaches to what is "public information".

In the US any government owned information (with obvious restrictions) is by definition public property - logical as the public own the government - and must be made available to them.

In the UK we too, after all, pay for it already so it does not seem unreasonable that we should be allowed to access it too? Fat chance.

 

[maxi77]

The US and UK have dramatically different approaches to what is "public information".

In the US any government owned information (with obvious restrictions) is by definition public property - logical as the public own the government - and must be made available to them.

In the UK we too, after all, pay for it already so it does not seem unreasonable that we should be allowed to access it too? Fat chance.

No because the information is supplied to non government users on a fee basis, that covers part of the cost of the information so as taxpayers we have only partly paid for it. For taxpayers to pay completely for it so you can have it free taxes will have to rise or perhaps it should come from the NHS budget

 

[MASH]

Maxi, you've missed the point. The American argument is: the government possesses the info, we own the government because we pay for it. Therefore any property the government holds is ours within reason and must publish it. It is illogical and arguably immoral to charge someone to access something they already own.

We pay for our own govt (and how!) just as the Americans do so it is our property, why do we have to pay for it again?

 

[PabloPicasso]

No because the information is supplied to non government users on a fee basis, that covers part of the cost of the information so as taxpayers we have only partly paid for it. For taxpayers to pay completely for it so you can have it free taxes will have to rise or perhaps it should come from the NHS budget

It could one from the gross and blatant waste and inefficiency of public service in general. But that's another story entirely

 

[maxi77]

Maxi, you've missed the point. The American argument is: the government possesses the info, we own the government because we pay for it. Therefore any property the government holds is ours within reason and must publish it. It is illogical and arguably immoral to charge someone to access something they already own.

We pay for our own govt (and how!) just as the Americans do so it is our property, why do we have to pay for it again?

No I haven't missed the point, we have a different model to the USA, a model that has been adopted by a good few countries so we are by no means unique. As I said the government pays for it's use of the data, and any one else who wishes to use it pays their share. That way the cost to the general taxpayer is minimised. Why for example should a non UK taxpayer be able to access data paid for by the UK taxpayer to make a profit. The US model means that I can utilise data paid for by US taxpayers, fine for me but are all US taxpayers happy about giving me freebees

 

[Jabamusic]

This reminds me of a previous discussion on this forum about the same subject. It was really interesting when opinions were made alongside vested interests. It soon became clear why certain people held the views they did !

 

[macd]

Oh what a generous body the US Govt must be.

On the other hand:
American citizens living outside of the U.S. are subject to the same [income tax] filing requirements that apply to American citizens living in the U.S. The U.S. tax filing requirement is based on worldwide income from all sources irrespective of residence.

Source: US Embassy, London.

 

[Duster]

The relationship between the government and the public are completely different in the UK and USA.

In the USA the government is there for the benefit of the people.

In the UK the people are there for the benefit of the government.

Hence the different approach.

 

[MASH]

he he. point taken!

 

[macd]

In the USA the government is there for the benefit of the people.

In the UK the people are there for the benefit of the government.

Such an illuminating aphorism. And simplistic, like most of them.
Ever heard of Joe McCarthy? J Edgar Hoover? I could go on.

 

[AOWYN]

Your gps unit uses a system paid for by the US taxpayer, rather preferable to screwing the European taxpayers to pay for the Galileo project........

 

[maxi77]

Your gps unit uses a system paid for by the US taxpayer, rather preferable to screwing the European taxpayers to pay for the Galileo project........

If Europe had realised the real value of owning such a navigation system a bit earlier then perhaps Galileo would be up and running now, hopefully we are not to late as the Russians are also pouring cash into their Glonass system. Surprisingly there are huge commercial benefits to be had from access to such systems which will like the internet become dominant in our lives before too long

 

[AOWYN]

I don't understand what you mean by "Europe". Do you mean that the Americans are silly giving us GPS but if "Europe" had been clever we could all be paying twice over for a similar service........... Ah well. Who is "Europe", do they have any money which they don't get from tax-payers?

 

[DaveS]

It is illogical and arguably immoral to charge someone to access something they already own.

That was an argument many of us made when Maggie sold us the nationalised industries we already owned. Anyone else caught selling someone his own property would be jailed!