..but we’re just as quick: more questions re the international man (or woman) of mystery
We’ve taken on Nicholas Verge’s suggestion and sent another FOI request to OS about the international expert.
Dear Sir or Madam,
Thank you for your previous reply re the international expert who reviewed OS’s internal study on International Funding Models.
I note that the person does not wish to be named. I would like to request further details about the person, none of which I believe will require their identity to be revealed:
1) is the “internationally recognised expert (a) British or (b) a foreign national?
2) Is he or she a (a) currently employed in a UK academic institution, or (b) employed in the UK, or (c) employed in a UK government department, or (d) a UK government agency or trading fund.
3) If so, which institution, business/fund or arm of Government?
4) Has the person retired from any of those listed in (2)?
5) Has the person ever been employed by the Ordnance Survey and if so on what basis (eg full-time, continuous part-time, etc)?
5) Has the person ever been employed by a foreign National Mapping Association, and if so on what basis (eg full-time, continuous part-time, etc)?
Editing error: there are two questions 5. Let’s hope this doesn’t somehow invalidate the whole thing…
(I’m considering setting up a separate category for the IM/WOM. Any thoughts?)
Update: and just for completeness, we have asked Ed Parsons – formerly of OS, now of Google – whether he is the IM/WOM.
He responds, emphatically, that he is not. One less person…
- The following posts may be related...(the database guesses):
- Well, that was quick: OS responds to FOI re international expert; mystery deepens (if that's possible) (31 July 2009; score: 58.46%)
- That international consultant and man of mystery is... (updated) (23 July 2009; score: 43.42%)
- International man/woman of mystery: the silent, uncommunicative type, apparently (3 September 2009; score: 42.83%)
- Wikileaks produces OS confidential briefing to ministers (27 August 2009; score: 40.39%)
- International man/woman of mystery is: international; from an NMA (3 August 2009; score: 37.75%)
July 31st, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Strange how all the usual suspects are getting involved in this nonsense rather than critique the report or even develop a compelling case for free data – something that they failed to do so far. But then I suppose that this fills the pages of the Guardian Technology Section in a slow news week.
July 31st, 2009 at 10:06 pm
@Rufus: we have dealt with the report in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/29/free-our-data-ordnance-survey
If you read it, the report comes across as a hopeless effort to try to justify the OS’s licensing model on the basis that it will encourage (national!) R&D, or give the national mapping agency more funds to invest. Except that the unredacted form shows that that simply doesn’t apply.
I’ll blog it in more detail. The international expert is interesting though because of the question of – who is this person? Who could possibly think the report was worth submitting to a minister? It would be embarrassing as an undergraduate report. (First year, not final year.)
As for the case for free data – well, the Cambridge report did a pretty good job. HAve you seen it refuted anywhere?
August 1st, 2009 at 3:53 am
If OS aren’t required to respond to FOI requests for the persons identity, then I doubt they have to respond to this. You may as well ask
1. How old is this person?
2. In which country do they live?
3. Who is their current employer?
4. What is the first letter of their surname?
etc.
I’m not sure what the point of finding out who this person is anyway. It’s not like any of the visible actually said anything anyway.
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:21 am
The person is of course Dave Lovell now Executive Director of Eurogeographics but OS ‘point man’ for many, many years. http://www.1spatial.com/conference/speakers/eurogeographics_DL.php
August 6th, 2009 at 9:45 am
@Tim
“I’m not sure what the point of finding out who this person is anyway. It’s not like any of the visible actually said anything anyway.”
I understand your point of view, but disagree.
The entire credibility of the Ordance Survey commissioned report rides on who the international expert is, their experience and knowledge of this field. If this “expert” is not willing to be associated with this report, it suggests that they do not support or otherwise agree with the findings of the report they wrote.