Comments on: Making Government Information More Accessible http://thenoisychannel.com/2008/12/16/making-government-information-more-accessible/ Mon, 21 May 2012 05:21:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Daniel Tunkelang http://thenoisychannel.com/2008/12/16/making-government-information-more-accessible/comment-page-1/#comment-1180 Daniel Tunkelang Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:11:50 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=976#comment-1180 I realize that pointing fingers within government bureaucracy is tricky, and I didn't intend to single out the judiciary branch. As for the cost-recouping, Carl Malamud argues that: In 2006, the fund received $447.8 million, but they could only figure out what to do with $301.2 million, the so-called “obligated balance.” In other words, they had a “significant unobligated balance” of $146.6 million. At 8 cents per page for a PACER Document, they could give away 1.8 billion pages of documents to the public and still have all the money they need to pay for their computers. I can't verify his numbers. Regardless, 8 cents a page is significant for these bloated documents--and it's more than the cost of photocopying them. Something seems very wrong about that in what is purportedly an information age, where the marginal cost of distribution is essentially zero. I realize that pointing fingers within government bureaucracy is tricky, and I didn’t intend to single out the judiciary branch.

As for the cost-recouping, Carl Malamud argues that:

In 2006, the fund received $447.8 million, but they could only figure out what to do with $301.2 million, the so-called “obligated balance.” In other words, they had a “significant unobligated balance” of $146.6 million. At 8 cents per page for a PACER Document, they could give away 1.8 billion pages of documents to the public and still have all the money they need to pay for their computers.

I can’t verify his numbers. Regardless, 8 cents a page is significant for these bloated documents–and it’s more than the cost of photocopying them. Something seems very wrong about that in what is purportedly an information age, where the marginal cost of distribution is essentially zero.

]]> By: Christina Pikas http://thenoisychannel.com/2008/12/16/making-government-information-more-accessible/comment-page-1/#comment-1179 Christina Pikas Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:03:29 +0000 http://thenoisychannel.com/?p=976#comment-1179 FWIW - US Courts does not want to charge for the documents, they're forced (by Congress) to recoup the cost of the service. They made the fees as low as possible. Also, you can get access now at some depository libraries. FWIW – US Courts does not want to charge for the documents, they’re forced (by Congress) to recoup the cost of the service. They made the fees as low as possible. Also, you can get access now at some depository libraries.

]]>