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The only way to really solve this is to make all potentially responsive data available to the public by default, via API.
by Schiendelman 5y ago
The only way to really solve this is to make all potentially responsive data available to the public by default, via API.
- throwawaygh 5y agoThis is an AGI-hard problem that's roughly equivalent to "convert arbitrary free-form natural language text into a program that queries over arbitrary databases, email servers, or even physical records". Actually, even worse than that, because FOIA requests are often written by non-lawyers trying to sound like they're lawyers. So the free form natural language text is horribly tortured pseudo-legalese.
- edoceo 5y agoAGI = Artificial General Intelligence
- Schiendelman 5y agoI don’t think so. I think it’s having all the comms in the open, and ensuring people can access that data and sort through it themselves.
- throwawaygh 5y ago1. FOIA/sunshine requests cover a lot of ground. Tons of stuff that isn't digitized or easily dumped to the internet is none-the-less subject to FOIA. 2. Still more is subject to FOIA but requires by-hand PII filtering before release. 3. TONS of stuff that's not subject to FOIA/sunshine passes through .gov Exchange email servers.
- Schiendelman 5y ago1) Yep, difficult to start digitizing everything but that’s well understood. 2) Not if you build the system in (1) to ensure that happens. 3) I am saying we should start making basically everything subject to FOIA unless it’s part of an established process (like bid discussions) that would delay that. Not saying it’s easy. I am saying it’s not the set of problems in the grandparent comment if you build your systems to fail open.
- edoceo 5y agoI love that idea. It's decades away but I love it.