Free flow of data and knowledge must benefit society, not the privileged few
One decade or so ago, the term "freedom of information" involved a one-month wait for a request for a "public interest" data to be processed. Today, such a waiting period would be a travesty. But the point here is not about that changing speed, but a speed of something else that remains largely unchanged. "Freedom of information" should transcend politics, and the politicians in power have not done enough to make sure that the current free flow of information socially benefits the people. Good governance advocates have urged the government to approach the new media, or social media, with a new attitude to boost public access to information. "To know late in today's world," it is said, "is equal to not knowing it at all." However, new media advocates have been vague at best on how the fast-improving technology can be utilised by the powers-that-be beyond the realm of politics.
It should no longer be specifically about political information. Politicians, instead of worrying about what type of "sensitive" information should be guarded in the brave new world, should start thinking of how the new media and technological progress can make the people smarter. The country needs a master plan on how the government can incorporate everything that the technological evolution can bring to the best interest of educating people.
We have been told about an anti-flood "master plan" or a highly ambitious scheme to overhaul railways transport. We have seen computer desktops distributed to rural schools or computer tablets handed out to poor children. What we have yet to see, though, is one politician saying "The best knowledge now can come straight to the home of the poor and we will do everything within our power to make sure that it will happen." There are also feel-good commercials of telecom firms showing how the telecom revolution can help the underprivileged. We all know that while the advertorials that we have watched may be true, the real number of beneficiaries is small. A blanket freedom of knowledge can only be provided by a government with the right mindset executing the right policy.
With proper and efficient planning and implementation, any youngster can learn practically anything at a cheap cost and wherever they are. All it takes is sincere political will, smart use of budget and mobilisation of brainpower to lay down infrastructure. Money shouldn't be a problem, especially in a country where politicians are offering drastic privileges for people buying their first cars.
The only question is where genuine political will that can revolutionalise will come from. Nowadays, any student well-versed in online searches can get free learning content as good as that provided in expensive courses. All they need is an effective infrastructure, something that a government that is planning to borrow Bt2.2 trillion from the public to improve the railways network must be capable of constructing. Online universities have been tested and tried in developed countries. It's an irony, considering the fact that such a programme is being seriously implemented where people don't need it that much. In places like Thailand, the priorities concerning how technology should be utilised have got all mixed up. Politics has stolen much of everybody's time, financial resources and brainpower.
One wonders if "freedom of information" remains very much lacking in politics after all. In other words, people who claim their "freedom" has been infringed on can complain in a blog or Facebook posting read by hundreds, or thousands or even millions. The technology has empowered Thai political animals, who at least are able to utilise it much more than those who have not complained that much - the poor students who have been given free tablets but are finding constant and free wi-fi access is something they can only dream about.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/06/03/free-access-to-information-must-be-depoliticised/
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