Steve Jones - SSC Editor (1/8/2013)
Government databases are getting opened, and while I agree they ought to design some OLAP type system from the ground up, because of time and resources, I know some are opening OLTP ones up for read only (they think) access.Corporate ones might not be open to the public, as in everyone, but some of them are opening data to customers or certain clients, which is public in a way. The same design principles should apply, and they certainly ought to consider the security and privacy implications.
Well...it all depends on what is in the particular government database on a case by case basis. Governments typically have hundreds of databases and sometimes thousands, so you can't throw a blanket statement over all of them. County governments, for example in my county, have a database that tracks the services, treatment, and recovery of addicted people who use county services. That database is definitely not open to the public and the data is encrypted as well. Many government databases (Federal, State, and County) are still not open to the public. That is just one example of many. It just depends on what the particular database is tracking and what that branch of government's liability is if that info gets on the street. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"