Modern Internet publishing techniques enable users to collaborate openly on content. Rich and valuable information resources can now be produced by large numbers of people who may have never met or communicated with each other directly. Concepts such as ‘wikis’, ‘blogs’ and ‘forums’ are the tools that can nurture the future democratisation of the Internet. For example ‘participatory journalism’ is a phrase used to describe newspapers or publications compiled online that allow amateurs and professionals to contribute equally. Often anyone registered with the site is allowed to participate. One example of the power of such online collaboration is the election of the South Korean president whose sweep to power in 2002 was significantly contributed to by mass support from online amateur journalists at OhmyNews.comi - a participatory journalism site. As a more personal example, I remember the first news I had of the London Underground bombings in July 2005 was via a friend’s blog where he’d written a few hurried lines after reaching his London-based workplace that morning.

Collaboration on content is not limited only the news. Information on an almost limitless range of topics can be found on the well-known and successful wikipedia online encyclopedia. Wikipedia can be contributed to by any user at will with moderation of content remaining as relaxed as possible. In this article I’d like to dwell on the potential democratic internet tools such as wikis hold for mutually beneficial transparency and communication between government and citizens.

Whilst I was working with an NGO called “Computers On Wheels” in Andhra Pradesh in 2004-05, I worked on a collaborative project which supplied field-level information on the pilot phase of the Food for Work Programme to the local government. The Food for Work Programme is part of a government initiative to assure employment to workers in rural areas of India whilst improving local infrastructure. Unfortunately some of these building projects can be subject to corruption and misappropriation of funds. Increasing the transparency of these projects would help government officials to identify corruption and promote fair working conditions for employees. The tool we employed for this purpose was a web-based database which could be updated by data collectors in the field and made available to government offices in the state capital Hyderabad.

At the time this system was designed and implemented I overlooked the value of openness and public contribution to the system. Data was gathered only by selected people with privileged access to relevant field documents. It was read via a secure connection only by individuals within the department for Rural Development in Hyderabad. The software application was built from scratch and restricted time and resources meant that it remained clunky and difficult to install or scale. Having gathered a little more knowledge on open source tools available I now know that what I achieved in five months could have been done far faster and more effectively had I made some simple modifications one of many tools already in existence. Furthermore, with a slightly more intelligent design the system could have been made far more scalable and transferable to other organisations.

A more effective system would not only allow multiple parties to update and input data via a website, but also make that data repository open for use by the public. Such a system is not only applicable to the rather specialised case that I have described here, but also to broader issues surrounding the Right To information Act that came into force in India in June 2005ⁱⁱ. The act requires the government to release certain non security related data on receiving a request from a member of the public. Additional clauses require that that data is released within 30 daysⁱⁱⁱ of the request. An online wiki could be set up that allows government departments to publish answers to requests for data online. Each request would be stored on a publicly accessible web page, to minimise repetition of requests by the public. This would not only increase the ease and speed with which the public could access official information but it would also cut down on government time and costs.

I am currently working with Mahiti Infotech, Bangalore where we are discussing a proposal for the implementation of a Right To Information wiki with the Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore. The system proposed is a customisation and extension of exisiting wiki software available free and open source on the internet. The wiki should be editable and viewable by the general public so that updates can take place as and when information is made available in the public domain^iv. Wiki systems are already available in many languages. This is especially useful in India where the application could be localised from state to state. The inclusion of a ‘Wiki Map’ in the system will allow users to mark and edit geographical data by overlaying points, lines and polygons on top of a satellite image^v.

Such a system also lends itself to my earlier example of the Food For Work Programme. Use of the wiki would not be confined to a certain NGO but contributions could come from widespread organisations and individuals. No software licencing or installation would have to be carried out because the wiki would run inside a standard web browser.

There are some obvious limitations associated with publicly accessible wikis and perhaps democratic web content in general. Open systems rely on having more contributors who submit accurate data and who want to see the system thrive than users who would like to vandalise the system. Users are unlikely to be able to verify as a hundred percent accurate anything that they read on the wiki. Such systems require a critical mass of users before they become accurate. It is only when a large number of users are viewing and editing pages that inaccuracies can be quickly eliminated.

I think that techniques for collaboration on web content have reached a state of maturity where they should not remain predominantly the domain of ‘alternative’ publications such as blogs and collaborative journalism. The very fact that wikipedia has put up such credible competition to the Encyclopedia Brittanica and OhmyNews.com can contribute strongly to political election results, to me suggests that it is time for governmental organisations to be exploring fully the ways in which collaborative web content can also work for them. If openness of information at this level can be embraced, not only in India and the developing world, but across governments, then surely it can only be a great thing for fostering democracy, development and social inclusion.