Re: [h2o-discuss] medical research open? open medical research!

[no0 <no0@ohmweb.com>]

thanks to 'sak' for the umberto eco reference ( at one point i was
describing myself as a 'master semioto-linguist'... until i got in
trouble for it in missouri)... let the conspiracy begin!... and to tuyet
for bringing up the 'medical research' example since that, primarily, is
the area i've been working in over the last several years, and besides,
is perhaps the best 'case study' for illuminating the generality and
importance of the main issues arising in the 'open source' domain--
especially in the way it highlights the relationships and 'tensions'
that arise when  knowledge-based (and digitally codable) forms of value
(e.g. specifications for 'interesting' genes, molecules, strings of
bits, etc.) are 'converted' to (knowledge-based) forms of capital, under
the control/ mediation of  'intellectual property' and
national/international regulatory regimes...

and while it's true, as robert says, that there are significant
structural differences between segments of the software business
associated so far w/ 'open source', and the current global organization
of 'big pharma'... i think it's clearly false that there's no
alternative to the current patent-driven monopoly, greed-based,
high-stakes lottery/ poker game method of allocating resources to
therapeutic agent development projects... a structure which is primarily
a highly 'contingent' artifact of  the current global consolidation of,
and system of organization and incentives for, the flow of capital...
and NOT,  some immutable natural fact...or something that serves the
public interest...   and i think that this 'patent medicine' system can
and will change radically, for many of the same reasons and due to the
same kinds of mechanisms and pressures that a (perhaps somewhat
beneficially re-conceptualized) 'open source' movement can bring to bear
on the 'proprietary software' system...

in fact... the convergence of factors in this (scientific/medical)
domain make it the perfect place to start not only an 'open source
style' software effort, but also a much more broadly targeted attempt to
develop an 'open (therapeutic, etc.) knowledge framework' and related
discovery/ development system...  that, at least, is what i view as a
great opportunity, and what i'm currently attempting to do through
projects under development at my company-- zeitgeist y2k01 ltd...

i won't take up space here advertising that further, but the
'convergence of factors' mentioned above as a source of
leverage/opportunity perhaps bears some elucidation:   these include the
increasingly software/machine-driven nature of scientific/medical r&d ;
the vestiges of  the residual 'natural scientific ethos' in the
direction of open inquiry that stefan identifies, including related
atavisms of 'altruism';  the public indefensibility (as opposed to the
private-- boardroom or congressional chamber-- necessity) of withholding
valuable medical/scientific knowledge for purpose of private profit;
the inefficiency of the typical current drug R&D system compared to the
potential of an open (distributed, collaborative, etc.) network system;
heightened awareness of public/private IP and other issues stimulated by
developments in the  human genome project and competing efforts to map
(and patent) the genome;  awareness/ recognition even by the big drug
companies, in the form of a major shared genetic database project, of
the benefits of (some, limited) 'open systems';  interest and
controversy surrounding the NIH plan, and other similar efforts,  to
make a wider range of journals and other scientific info available on
the internet;  other internet developments:  e.g. drugstores.com,
viagra.com;  the 'supplements' and 'natural products' end-runs around
the FDA; and so on... and including of course, prominently, all the
'open source' hoopla...

in any case (as perhaps i will soon get around to making more clear in
notes/comments on e. raymond's 'magic bucket' referenced on this list) i
think the most immediate and dramatic impact for 'open source style'
projects, contra esr, will be in various kinds of 'network enterprise
applications' and that one of the best places to prove that will be in
scientific and medical domains that already have a well-established
(historical, partial) 'open' (public/ gov/ academic) infrastructure...

mark