Comments on: A Big Day for Open Access, But More Work Remains http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-work-remains/ Information, Law, and the Law of Information Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:08:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Info/Law » Public records, one JPEG at a time? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-work-remains/comment-page-1/#comment-61225 Info/Law » Public records, one JPEG at a time? Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:48:45 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-wo#comment-61225 [...] These drawbacks aren’t universally shared. For an example of a government web site that gets it (mostly) right, have a look at the Supreme Court. The quill-pen set may not allow cameras in the courtroom, but they’ve created an online presence that other public agencies should envy, with downloadable transcripts dating back eight years and complete volumes of the U.S. Reports since 1991. There’s a strong bias in favor of the contemporary, as with most government-operated sites; it has typically fallen to outside groups like public.resource.org and AltLaw to bring older judicial records into the digital age. [...] [...] These drawbacks aren’t universally shared. For an example of a government web site that gets it (mostly) right, have a look at the Supreme Court. The quill-pen set may not allow cameras in the courtroom, but they’ve created an online presence that other public agencies should envy, with downloadable transcripts dating back eight years and complete volumes of the U.S. Reports since 1991. There’s a strong bias in favor of the contemporary, as with most government-operated sites; it has typically fallen to outside groups like public.resource.org and AltLaw to bring older judicial records into the digital age. [...]

]]> By: Tim Armstrong http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-work-remains/comment-page-1/#comment-49254 Tim Armstrong Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:26:24 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-wo#comment-49254 Good point, Luis -- that is, after all, one of the major points of <i><a href="http://www.everythingismiscellaneous.com/" rel="nofollow">Everything Is Miscellaneous</a></i>, isn't it? All the meta-info beyond the bare text can, and maybe should, be crowdsourced. Looking at AltLaw's copy of <a href="http://altlaw.org/v1/cases/527918" rel="nofollow">the same case I referenced above</a>, I see that they do indeed have hyperlinks to the S. Ct. and court of appeals opinions, although not to the U.S. Code (which is freely available online in multiple locations) or the cited provisions of the legislative history (which often, rather scandalously in my view, isn't). Now can AltLaw just whip up a "What Links Here" button? Then we could really begin doing some actual research. :-) Good point, Luis — that is, after all, one of the major points of Everything Is Miscellaneous, isn’t it? All the meta-info beyond the bare text can, and maybe should, be crowdsourced. Looking at AltLaw’s copy of the same case I referenced above, I see that they do indeed have hyperlinks to the S. Ct. and court of appeals opinions, although not to the U.S. Code (which is freely available online in multiple locations) or the cited provisions of the legislative history (which often, rather scandalously in my view, isn’t). Now can AltLaw just whip up a “What Links Here” button? Then we could really begin doing some actual research. :-)

]]> By: Luis http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-work-remains/comment-page-1/#comment-49209 Luis Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:28:39 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-wo#comment-49209 Altlaw (and others) are working on the hyperlinking and formatting part of the equation. Think of it as division of labor. :) Altlaw (and others) are working on the hyperlinking and formatting part of the equation. Think of it as division of labor. :)

]]> By: Emily Esse http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-work-remains/comment-page-1/#comment-49207 Emily Esse Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:15:13 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2008/03/17/a-big-day-for-open-access-but-more-wo#comment-49207 It is too bad that they don't have hyperlinking - I think that is one of the most valuable things about researching on Westlaw or Lexis. At least they are getting stuff online, though! On another topic, I'd be really interested in anyone on this blog's take on the "Spokeo" site that I just encountered today - if you go by their PR, it's a great way to know everything your friends are doing online. If you go by my 5-10 minute experience with it, it's a creepy stalker tool, an invasion of privacy, and unprecedented in the way it aggregates online content by any one person. I wrote about it in more detail here: http://foresthouse.livejournal.com/448242.html (Note: I'm not trying to plug my journal or anything - I am really, REALLY concerned about this, and since info privacy law on the internet isn't my expertise, I think it would be very helpful if someone here who is more informed could blog about this from a legal perspective.) It is too bad that they don’t have hyperlinking – I think that is one of the most valuable things about researching on Westlaw or Lexis. At least they are getting stuff online, though!

On another topic, I’d be really interested in anyone on this blog’s take on the “Spokeo” site that I just encountered today – if you go by their PR, it’s a great way to know everything your friends are doing online. If you go by my 5-10 minute experience with it, it’s a creepy stalker tool, an invasion of privacy, and unprecedented in the way it aggregates online content by any one person.

I wrote about it in more detail here: http://foresthouse.livejournal.com/448242.html

(Note: I’m not trying to plug my journal or anything – I am really, REALLY concerned about this, and since info privacy law on the internet isn’t my expertise, I think it would be very helpful if someone here who is more informed could blog about this from a legal perspective.)

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