Open Data: a means to an end, not an end in itself

"[I]f open data is a means and not an end in itself, what are the real ends that we are seeking? The real ends are the improved creation, processing and use information for the purpose of bettering our lives and the world around us — finding a better way to travel to work, understanding and addressing climate change, finding better ways to cure and prevent disease, deciding who to vote for, the list goes on and on because it includes almost anything where information, and more specifically digital information is or could be important...."