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Tags > government
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.
Strata Week: New open-data initiatives in Canada and the UK - Open data from StatsCan and Whitehall, Dell open sources its Hadoop tool, and what we can learn from old library records.
December 1, 2011
This week's data news includes open-data initiatives in the U.K. and Canada, the open sourcing of a Hadoop deployment tool by Dell, and a database reveals the circa-1900 reading habits of Muncie, Ind.
Four short links: 7 November 2011 - City Finances, Low-Power Computers, Future History, and Learner's Mindset
By Nat TorkingtonNovember 7, 2011
California and Bust (Vanity Fair) -- Michael Lewis digs into city and state finances, and the news ain't good. Tonido Plug 2 -- with only watts a day, you could have your own low-cost compute farm that runs off a car battery and a cheap solar panel. William Gibson Interview (The Paris Review) -- It's harder to imagine the...
Strata Week: IBM puts Hadoop in the cloud - IBM taps the cloud to make Hadoop easier, Factual cleans geo data, Google gets transparent with gov data requests.
October 27, 2011
IBM targets businesses with a cloud-based Hadoop product, Factual tackles incomplete geo records, and Google embraces transparency by publishing and explaining the data requests it gets from governments.
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.
Top Stories: October 3-7, 2011 - Why Oracle's big data move matters, inside PhoneGap, and data drives NYC's quest to become a premiere digital city.
October 7, 2011
This week on O'Reilly: Edd Dumbill explained why Oracle's Big Data Appliance is both a validation and a sign of battles to come, we dug into PhoneGap's cross-platform app capabilities, and we surveyed New York City's data and open government efforts.
Top Stories: September 5-9, 2011 - Hacking a Texas city, RIP Michael S. Hart, and the bar is raised for open gov visualizations.
September 9, 2011
This week on O'Reilly: Christopher Groskopf explained how he's going to hack a Texas city, Nat Torkington said goodbye to Project Gutenberg founder Michael S. Hart, and the value of government data visualizations reached a new standard thanks to LookatCook.com.
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.
How to create sustainable open data projects with purpose - Tom Steinberg on making a website vs making a difference.
August 30, 2011
Tom Steinberg, head of the UK's civic-hacking non-profit mySociety, uses the launch of the new FixMyTransport to reflect on how organizations can help their open data efforts achieve sustainability.
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.
Top Stories: August 15-19, 2011 - The meat-to-math ratio, Chicago embraces open government, and data science influences social science.
August 19, 2011
This week on O'Reilly: We learned how smart companies apply the "meat-to-math ratio," Chicago's commitment to open data and open government was explored, and we looked at how data science is shaping social science.
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.
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.
App outreach and sustainability: lessons learned by Portland, Oregon
By Andy OramJuly 31, 2011
The big problems faced by contests and challenges in government apps are encouraging developers to turn their cool apps into sustainable products, and getting the public to use them.
Nebula looks to democratize cloud computing with open source hardware - By combining OpenStack with Facebook's OpenCompute project, Nebula could bring cloud computing to everyone.
July 27, 2011
Newly launched Nebula will combine open source software with open source hardware developed into an appliance. If Nebula succeeds, its "cloud controller" could enable every company to implement cloud computing.
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.
Why don't they get it? - Tech predictions focusing only on technology miss a key component: people.
By Peter BennettJuly 15, 2011
If you comment on new technology, you should get to know as many of the quirks and biases of human behavior as you can. That's because you're modeling people first and technology second.
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.
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.
Developer Week in Review: The unglamorous life of video game developers - To live and die making "L.A. Noire," unsensible censors, and the top 25 ways to get PWNED
July 7, 2011
The folks who make video games sound the alarm bells on working conditions, governments try to break the Internet, and MITRE unveils 2011's most dangerous software errors.
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.
Advances, setbacks, and continuing impediments to government transparency
By Andy OramJune 16, 2011
The good, the bad, and the edgy in open government at Computers, Freedom & Privacy.
How a Health 2.0 code-a-thon works
By Andy OramJune 12, 2011
Report of a day spent with people developing a health-care related app in eight hours.
How a Health 2.0 code-a-thon works
By Andy OramJune 12, 2011
Report of a day spent with people developing a health-care related app in eight hours.
Challenges aired at Health Data Initiative Forum
By Andy OramJune 10, 2011
A major bash by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Institute of Medicine--together with the NIH, EPA, and others--drew hundreds of people yesterday in Washington, DC to discuss the use of government data in health care. Some of the interesting apps on display, and a look toward next steps.
Should the patent office open its internal guidelines to the public?
By Andy OramJune 3, 2011
Anyone following policy issues around technological innovation has noticed the power and scope of patents expanding over time. To understand the forces contributing to this, I recommend a thoughtful, readable summary--and highlight the role played by internal documents at the patent office.
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.
Strata Week: A call for open science data - Science needs to open up, the murky ownership of UK train data, hacking a Texas town.
May 19, 2011
In the latest Strata Week: London's Royal Society wants scientists need to improve their data sharing habits, UK train data is limited by murky ownership, a man is on a mission to hack a Texas town, and a few suggestions for your summer reading list.
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.
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.
ePayments Week: Where adds context to PayPal - Ebay buys Where, the White House wants identity protection, and researchers find interesting data about themselves on the iPhone.
April 21, 2011
EBay's purchase of a mobile advertising and check-in service adds another piece to its mobile payment puzzle. Also, the White House calls for an online identity ecosystem and two researchers discover caches of location data left unencrypted on their iPhones.
Data News: Week in Review - Tracking data found in iOS 4, crowdsourcing is questioned, and the Senate doesn't get "open data"
April 21, 2011
In the latest Data News: The tracking data saved in a hidden iOS 4 file causes a stir, the value of crowdsourcing during crisis response is questioned, and the Senate finally releases its financial data ... in PDF.
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.
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.
Search Notes: Google and government scrutiny - Google's dominance draws attention from governments and courts, and it's time to say goodbye to AllTheWeb
March 24, 2011
In this edition of Search Notes: Google continues to be a top traffic source, governments and courts want to know more about Google's methods, and AllTheWeb takes a final trip to the great Internet in the sky.
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.
Planning a better whistleblowers' site: a review of Domscheit-Berg's book "Inside WikiLeaks"
By Andy OramFebruary 23, 2011
Commentators tend to treat WikiLeaks as some kind of pure emanation of the Internet, ignoring the vast legal, financial, media, and other systems that make it possible. Second, they either praise or criticize its mission, but rarely ask how it could be improved. For these reasons, I find Daniel Domscheit-Berg's new book, Inside WikiLeaks, an important contribution to current politics.
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.
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.
Google Public Data Explorer goes public - A new tool from Google makes it easier for anyone to visualize data.
February 16, 2011
Making data visualizations just got a bit easier as Google has added Public Data Explorer to its suite of free data tools.
Go-To-Meeting Government
By Dale DoughertyFebruary 12, 2011
DealBook in the New York Times offers a portrait of Gary Gensler who is chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. I was inspired by Gensler's story. He moved from Wall Street to Washington to go into public service while raising three girls as a single father. His quest to "overhaul the murky $600 trillion derivatives market" is meeting with...
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.
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