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Tags > gov20
There's a map for that - Can redistricting be opened to the public through open source and the web?
December 20, 2011
DistrictBuilder is a web-based redistricting tool that lets citizens draw their own maps, publish them online and submit them to redistricting authorities.
White House to open source Data.gov as open government data platform - The new "Data.gov in a box" could empower countries to build their own platforms.
December 5, 2011
A partnership between the United States and India on open government has borne fruit: progress on making the open data platform Data.gov open source. With this step forward, the prospects are brighter for stimulating economic activity, civic utility and accountability under a global open government partnership.
Gov 2.0 enters the mainstream on NPR and the AP - NPR and the Associated Press recently focused on civic apps and other Gov 2.0 topics.
By Alex HowardDecember 1, 2011
Civic applications recently pushed a bit further into the public's consciousness via a lively discussion on Washington's local NPR station, WAMU, and through an Associated Press article that examined open data and apps.
Congress considers anti-piracy bills that could cripple Internet industries - SOPA and PROTECT IP would harm innovation.
November 22, 2011
In a time when the American economy needs to catalyze innovation to compete in a global marketplace, members of the United States Congress have advanced legislation that could cripple the Internet industry, damage cybersecurity and harm freedom of expression online.
Four short links: 22 November 2011 - Facebook Encircles the Web, Async UIs, SimRedistricting, and Questioning the Flipped School
By Nat TorkingtonNovember 22, 2011
Facebook is Gaslighting the Web (Anil Dash) -- interesting to see the way in which Facebook is attempting to embrace and extend the web, as opposed to AOL's doomed attempt to set itself up in competition and opposition to the web. As Molly's piece eloquently explains, what Facebook is calling "frictionless" sharing is actually placing an extremely high barrier...
Civic media competition attracts a new generation of change agents - A global conversation with finalists in Ashoka's civic media innovation competition.
November 14, 2011
Finalists in the Ashoka Foundation's civic media competition offered honest and perceptive observations about the role of civic media in the expanding information ecosystem.
Four short links: 11 November 2011 - Technocracy's Blind Spot, Progressive Enhancement, Libraries and ebooks, and Library Fablab
By Nat TorkingtonNovember 11, 2011
Nudge Policies Are Another Name for Coercion (New Scientist) -- This points to the key problem with "nudge" style paternalism: presuming that technocrats understand what ordinary people want better than the people themselves. There is no reason to think technocrats know better, especially since Thaler and Sunstein offer no means for ordinary people to comment on, let alone correct,...
International Open Government Data Camp looks to build community - In its second year, the camp's organizers aspire to galvanize more governments to open up their data.
By Alex HowardOctober 15, 2011
The second International Open Government Data Camp will convene advocates, activists, civic media, citizens and officials to exchange ideas, code and expertise in Warsaw, Poland.
Government IT's quiet open source evolution - The GOSCON conference shows that open source is making headway in DC.
September 1, 2011
Packed halls at the 2011 Government Open Source Conference (GOSCON) confirmed that strong interest in open source runs throughout the federal IT community.
Social, mapping and mobile data tell the story of Hurricane Irene - Citizens will act as important sensors as a huge storm washes up the East Coast of the United States.
By Alex HowardAugust 26, 2011
In the information ecosystem of 2011, media, government and citizens alike will play a critical role in sharing information about what's happening in natural disasters, putting open data to work, and providing help to one another.
Visualizing hunger in the Horn of Africa - A map made with open data shows the extent of the humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa.
August 19, 2011
A new map made with open data shows the extent of the humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa. The data visualization at the the World Food Program website can also be embedded and shared, extending the reach of the request for aid.
Everyone jumped on the app contest bandwagon. Now what? - The next wave of government app contests need to incorporate sustainability, community, and civic value.
August 19, 2011
Whether developers are asked to participate in app contests, federal challenges, or civic hackathons, it's time for the architects behind these efforts to focus on utility and sustainability.
Opening government, the Chicago way - Chicago looks to use its data, developers and citizens to become a smarter city.
August 17, 2011
Sustainability and analytics are guiding Chicago's open data and app contest efforts. The city's approach offers important insights to governments at all levels.
FCC contest stimulates development of apps to help keep ISPs honest - The winners of the FCC's Open Internet challenge provide consumers with new tools to monitor ISPs.
August 10, 2011
The FCC Open Internet Challenge stimulated the creation of a new mobile application that enables consumers to analyze the performance of their mobile broadband network. Combined with the other two winners of the challenge, consumers now have better tools to measure their Internet service.
Open source maps tell data journalism stories in Afghanistan - Open data, a map and the Internet share the story of violence against journalists in Afghanistan
By Alex HowardAugust 8, 2011
A new website shows incidents of violence against journalists in Afghanistan launched. Data.nai.org.afs charts attacks on the media onto an interactive map of country using open source mapping tools.
Energy.gov relaunches using open source and the cloud - Drupal and open source technology power the new Energy.gov.
August 4, 2011
The new Energy.gov, using a combination of open source technology and cloud computing, will save an estimated $10 million annually.
A refresh for open government in British Columbia - British Columbia joins the ranks of governments embracing open gov platforms.
By Alex HowardJuly 26, 2011
Canadian citizens in the province of British Columbia now have three new websites that focus on open government data, making information related to accountability available, and providing easier access to services and officials.
There are bigger issues surrounding the .gov review - The efforts behind .gov reform go beyond domain management.
July 14, 2011
The U.S. federal government's web reform effort isn't just about reducing the number of websites and saving associated design or maintenance costs. It's about improving citizens' access to information and services.
Four short links: 14 July 2011 - Microchip Archaeology, OSM Map Library, Feedback Loops for Public Expenditure, and Mind-reading Big Data
By Nat TorkingtonJuly 14, 2011
Digging into Technology's Past -- stories of the amazing work behind the visual 6502 project and how they reconstructed and simulated the legendary 6502 chip. To analyze and then preserve the 6502, James treated it like the site of an excavation. First, he needed to expose the actual chip by removing its packaging of essentially “billiard-ball plastic.” He eroded...
Creating the ideal conditions for tech startups - European tech entrepreneurs have concerns about startup environments.
By Alex HowardJuly 13, 2011
Creating economic conditions that are beneficial to startups is increasingly important for governments. What are the factors that will attract and retain top talent?
Open government data to fuel Kenya's app economy - The launch of Open Kenya suggests government as a platform is growing.
July 8, 2011
The government of Kenya has launched Open Kenya, an open data platform, and it's looking to the country's dynamic development community to make useful applications for its citizens.
Data journalism, data tools, and the newsroom stack - The 2011 Knight News Challenge winners illustrate data's ascendance in media and government.
July 5, 2011
The MIT Civic Media conference and 2011 Knight News Challenge winners made it clear that data journalism and data tools will play key roles in the future of media and open government.
Citizen science, civic media and radiation data hint at what's to come - The evolution of Safecast is a glimpse into networked accountability.
June 29, 2011
After a tsunami caused a nuclear disaster in Japan, a radiation detection network starting aggregating and publishing data. The result, Safecast, shows how citizen science and open data are changing our understanding of the world.
Civic Commons taps tech to make government work better and cost less - With a new management team and funding, Civic Commons is poised to make a difference.
June 2, 2011
With a new management team in place and $250,000 in funding from Omidyar Network secured, Civic Commons is poised to help cities share code and make better use of technology.
Why the eG8 mattered to the future of the Internet and society - Four interviews explore why the eG8 mattered and what's at stake for the Internet.
May 31, 2011
If the Internet has become the public arena for our time, as the official G8 statement emphasized, then experts say we must defend the openness and freedoms that have supported its development.
At the eG8, 20th century ideas clashed with the 21st century economy - The eG8 shows online innovation and freedom of expression still need strong defenders.
May 27, 2011
While the first eG8 Forum in Paris featured hundreds of business and digital luminaries, some of the the policies discussed should be of serious concern to entrepreneurs, activists, media and citizens around the world.
Four short links: 24 May 2011 - Kindle List, Insider Knowledge, Google News Archive Archived, and Work Week in Video
By Nat TorkingtonMay 24, 2011
Delivereads -- genius idea, a mailing list for Kindles. Yes, if you can send email then you can be a Kindle publisher. (via Sacha Judd) Abnormal Returns From the Common Stock Investments of Members of the U.S. House of Representatives -- We measure abnormal returns for more than 16,000 common stock transactions made by approximately 300 House delegates from...
Four short links: 12 May 2011 - One-Click Zeroed Down Under, Piracy, One Site To Rule Them All, and English Language
By Nat TorkingtonMay 12, 2011
Telsta Scores Patent Win over Amazon (ZDNet) -- The delegate of the Commissioner of Patents, Ed Knock, found this week that Amazon's 1-click buy facility "lacks novelty [and] an inventive step", making Amazon's claim unpatentable. The Final Answer for What To Do To Prevent Piracy (Jeff Vogel) -- His advice is to do the minimum to encourage people to...
BrightScope liberates financial advisor data - SEC and FINRA data about financial advisors is now indexed by search engines.
May 9, 2011
BrightScope has unlocked government data on financial advisors and made the information publicly available. Now, anyone can research a potential money manager.
Interactive mapping and open data illustrate excess federal property - WhiteHouse.gov puts data to use in its new federal property map.
May 5, 2011
A new interactive feature posted at WhiteHouse.gov uses open data to visualize excess federal property. The full dataset is also available for download in a structured format.
A Manhattan Project for online identity - A look at the White House's National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace.
May 4, 2011
The U.S. government's National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace addresses key issues around identity, privacy and security. Implementation, however, will require significant effort and innovation from the private sector.
Open source tools look to make mapping easier - The barrier to entry for mapping is getting lower thanks to new platforms.
By Alex HowardApril 26, 2011
Development Seed is creating open source tools with the intent of making mapping easier for organizations and activists. The Node.js framework is playing a big role in that process.
Ignite Smithsonian examines the evolution of museums and culture - The first Ignite Smithsonian highlighted the intersection of museums and technology.
By Alex HowardApril 13, 2011
Ignite Smithsonian featured innovative ideas about museums, design, art, technology and culture. This Ignite, the first to be held the Smithsonian, brought speakers from in and outside of government, including an international contingent.
What happens to e-government if government shuts down? - The prospect of a federal shutdown brings the importance of e-government into sharp relief.
April 8, 2011
A government shutdown could highlight the IT functions that are core to government operations and those that aren't, including thousands of .gov websites.
Open source is mission critical for NASA - The first NASA Open Source Summit highlighted policy and progress.
April 7, 2011
NASA's commitment to open source and its gameplan for open government were discussed at the recent NASA Open Source Summit. Here's a look at the open source issues and opportunities the agency faces.
FCC.gov reboots as an open government platform - The FCC's site taps into open source, the cloud, and collective intelligence.
April 5, 2011
The new version of FCC.gov incorporates the principles of Web 2.0 into the FCC's online operations. From open data to platform thinking, the reboot elevates FCC.gov from one of the worst federal websites to one of the best.
Four short links: 1 April 2011 - Murky Future for Transparency, Browser Awesome, Future Realized, and Data Bias
By Nat TorkingtonApril 1, 2011
Transparency Sites to Close -- the US government's open data efforts will close in a few months as a result of the cuts in funding. Browser Wars, Plural (Alex Russell) -- nice rundown of demos of what modern browsers are capable of. Brief Descriptions of Potential Home Information Services (image) -- lovely 1971 piece of futurology, which you can...
White House releases IT Dashboard as open source code - The open sourced IT Dashboard can enable greater transparency in any government entity that wants to adopt it.
March 31, 2011
With the open source release of the IT Dashboard, an application that was developed on behalf of government agencies can now be implemented and further customized by other potential government users and developers at the city, state or international level.
Let's imagine Steve Jobs is President of the United States - How can our experiences with the Internet and consumer tech apply to government transformation?
By Francis PedrazaMarch 28, 2011
Sooner or later, writes Francis J. Pedraza, the same forces that have touched all of our lives through consumer markets and the Internet will give us Government 2.0.
For election info, the Internet reaches a new high-water mark - Pew finds more than 50% of US adults used the Internet for political purposes during the 2010 elections.
March 22, 2011
New research from the Pew Internet and Life Project on the 2010 midterm elections shows that a majority of U.S. citizens are now turning to the web for news and information about politics.
Citizensourcing smarter government in New York City - Deputy mayor Steven Goldsmith on crowdsourcing and data.
March 8, 2011
In this interview, New York City deputy mayor Steven Goldsmith talks about how the Big Apple is opening government data and creating new relationships with citizens and civic developers.
Social media in a time of need - How the Red Cross and the Los Angeles Fire Department integrate social tools into crisis response.
March 7, 2011
The Red Cross and the Los Angeles Fire Department have been at the forefront of incorporating social media into crisis response. Here's a look at some of the tools and techniques they've adopted.
Empowering digital diplomacy at the edge of the network - The State Department launched new Twitter accounts in Arabic, Farsi, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and French.
March 1, 2011
When the State Department launched new Twitter accounts in a number of languages, it provided an opportunity for digital diplomats to engage in a global conversation at the edges of the network.
Phase2 acquires two more Drupal distributions - The top 4 Drupal distributions used by government are now overseen by Phase2 Technology.
By Alex HowardFebruary 22, 2011
Open Atrium and Managing News join OpenPublic and OpenPublish in Phase2 Technology's Drupal distributions.
Four short links: 18 February 2011 - Data Sets, Data-driven Policy, Task Queues, and 8-Bit Browser
By Nat TorkingtonFebruary 18, 2011
DSPL: DataSet Publishing Language (Google Code) -- a representation language for the data and metadata of datasets. Datasets described in this format can be processed by Google and visualized in the Google Public Data Explorer. XML metadata on CSV, geo-enabled, with linkable data. (via Michal Migurski on Delicious) Why is Evidence So Hard for Politicians -- Ben Goldacre nails...
Broadband availability and speed visualized in new government map - The National Broadband Map has more than 25 million records and incorporates crowdsourced reporting.
February 17, 2011
The new National Broadband Map is one of the largest implementations of open source and open data in government to date.
Four short links: 16 February 2011 - Budget Treemap, Foo Encapsulated, Book Recommendations, Hackers and Data
By Nat TorkingtonFebruary 16, 2011
Interactive Treemap for the Budget (NY Times) -- why don't government departments produce and release these automatically? (via Flowing Data) Hold Conversations Not Meetings (HBR) -- that sentence perfectly captures the heart of Foo Camp. (via Hacker News) Kiwi Foo 2011 Book Recommendations -- we held a "which books are you reading, or would recommend?" session and this is...
Parsing open source at the State Department - The fifth Tech@State Conference focuses on the role of open source in government, industry and society.
February 11, 2011
Public officials, technologists and citizens will discuss open source's role in government and society at the Tech@State conference, being held today in Washington, D.C.
"Copy, paste, map" - The FCC and FortiusOne launch IssueMap.org, a citizen-generated mapping tool.
February 8, 2011
IssueMap.org, a new project from the FCC and FortiusOne, aims to convert open data into knowledge and insight.
Four short links: 4 February 2011 - Intellectual Property, Javascript Charting, Open Source Advice, and Java-based Machine Learning
By Nat TorkingtonFebruary 4, 2011
Access to Knowledge in the Age of Intellectual Property (MIT Press) -- with essays by knowledgeable folks such as Yochai Benkler, Larry Lessig, and Jo Walsh. Available as open access (free) ebook as well as paper. I love it that we can download these proper intellectuals' intellectual property. (via BoingBoing) AwesomeChartJS -- Apache-licensed Javascript library for charting. (via Hacker...
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