Kapil Gupta <navka...@...> writes:
> I need suggestions / comments / feedback and for making a site like below. i
> think that this is a huge site and i may not be able to do it by myself. my
> idea to develop it in mediawiki, will you suggest me something better for my
> purpose.
> Since it is a littile big document, please follow the link.
> https://docs.google.com
> /Doc?docid=0Abk_RjBgPsd6ZGR6MnZ3andfNDIxcmJwcXdtZHY&hl=en
Way too broad a scope for success in my opinion. I've had thoughts along
similar lines some time ago. My conclusion was that it would be a project
capable of growing into a virtuous circle if kept within reasonable
constraints and goals.
For something like this to work, you need several components.
1. the website needs to be resilient to takedown
2. the information it uncovers needs to be transparent and verifiable so that
people trust it as a resource
3. people should want it
Let's elaborate on these:
1. takedown resilience
* make it economically viable (how? see 3)
* strongarm tactics against it should not be able to succeed. This means
anonymity for the site admins and owners would be needed.
note that this is rather wikileaks-like. It doesn't need the same
architecture of course, there are other ways of doing this. But wikileaks is
a proven model.
2. transparent verifiable information
* wikileaks has a failing in that its submissions are unverifiable.
* However we can limit the scope of the project to verifiable information
by making it based on non-confidential queries into dubious areas of
governance. An ideal implementation would be to make RTI exchanges public
* having peer review decide if each RTI filing is appropriate (RTI is
abused sometimes too).
* track the filing through its stages publicly, updating the site so
that the great Indian public can keep their eyes on progress
* keep the finances of the site transparent too
3. must be a desirable service
* Literate Indians in India and abroad would want to see the crap that
happens in India solved. I expect they'd happily be the financial motor
behind it, whipping out their credit cards in a fit of vengeance at their pet
peeve (passport office, driving licence, other forms of institutionalized
bribery), as long as they don't have to deal with the pain of babudom
themselves. Effectively, with credit cards, they'd be able to hire RTI pros
to tackle evil babudom.
* Few Evil Overlords would publicly oppose such a site.
Given the capital, it'd be a straightforward web app to roll out within about
3 months.
PJ
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