Minimal Competence: Data Access, Data Ownership, and Sharecropping. - Laughing Meme

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URL

http://laughingmeme.org/2010/05/18/minimal-competence-data-access-data-ownership-and-sharecropping/

Description

A basic principle: if a paid-for web service does not let it's users get back out (via a reasonably simple API) *a minimum of* every single thing they put into it, then that web service is stealing content from it's users. There are counter arguments around added value, fair exchange, and so on, but (I think that) if you are paying money to a website, then you should be able to take out absolutely everything you have ever put into it.