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16.4

What Are the Tasks for Modern Bioinformatics

in the Internet Age?

What is very interesting is that the ten basic principles of the digital manifesto naturally

help a great deal in moving all bioinformatics activities in a user-friendly, creative and

developmental direction:

Develop and Network Own Data Locally (Ad 1, 7 and 9)

In addition to central databases and repositories, it is also important to make one’s own

data accessible locally, but also to network and collaborate (a particularly burning issue for

medical data for bioinformatics).

(continued)

but also for societal resilience – the ability to cope with unexpected shocks. Reducing

sociodiversity often also reduces the ability of economies and societies to function

and perform. This is the reason why totalitarian regimes often end up in conflict with

their neighbours. Typical long-term consequences are political instabilities and

wars, as they have repeatedly occurred in our history. Plurality and participation

should therefore not be seen primarily as concessions to the citizens, but as decisive

functional prerequisites of efficient, complex, modern societies.

This can be done by adhering to the following basic principles:

• to decentralise the function of information systems to a greater extent,

• to support informational self-determination and participation,

• improve transparency for increased trustworthiness,

• reduce information distortion and pollution,

• enable user-controlled information filters,

• promote social and economic diversity,

• improve the ability of technical systems to work together,

• create digital assistants and coordination tools,

• support collective intelligence and

• to promote citizens’ maturity in the digital world – a “digital enlightenment”.

With this agenda, we would all benefit from the fruits of the digital revolution:

Business, government and citizens alike. What are we waiting for?

16.4  What Are the Tasks for Modern Bioinformatics in the Internet Age?