"Scott W" wrote in message
...
"We believe this should be made available at reasonable cost for full
access to stimulate private enterprise that can provide wider benefits
to the economy and society".

I wonder how much of the current data which is free, such as the
excellent "reanalysis" charts on Wetterzentrale, will vanish behind a
paywall?

And I wonder what they will define as "reasonable". Reasonable for
industry or reasonable for the individual?

Apart from cutting out the need to visit the library in Exeter for my
own study does anyone else think this is a good idea?

http://data.gov.uk/benefits-of-relea...servation-data


It concludes:

Recommendation
a.. Further research could be performed to provide more detailed analysis.
However, making historical raw observation data available for free (plus
reasonable distribution re-work costs) and reducing limitations (frequency /
all parameters / meta-data) should be a relatively straight forward process
for the UKMO.
b.. Therefore, given the impact of opening up weather data in other
economies, and the UK so far, we believe this would lead to an increase in
private sector activity.
c.. On this basis, we believe this should be progressed.
So it seems that "resonable" means as in "free (plus reasonable distribution
re-work costs)".

I do not see that data having a commercial value, and I believe that it
should be made freely available over the internet so that any interested
amateur can have access to it. I thought that now we have Freedom of Access
that it was the law anyway. If they posted it all on the internet then it
should save them money in answering FoA requests.

Perhaps what we amateurs should be saying is that it is us who will want to
access it so don't forget that we don't have any money :-(

Cheers, Alastair.