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Tags > opendata
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: 4 November 2011 - Science Repository, Dancing Robots, Retro Jobs, and Bluetooth Bow
By Nat TorkingtonNovember 4, 2011
Beethoven's Open Repository of Research (RocketHub) -- open repository funded in a Kickstarter-type way. First crowdfunding project I've given $$$ to. KeepOff (GitHub) -- open source project built around hacking KeepOn Interactive Dancing Robots. (via Chris Spurgeon) Steve Jobs One-on-One (ComputerWorld) -- interesting glimpse of the man himself in an oral history project recording made during the NeXT years....
Four short links: 28 October 2011 - Open Access, Retro Crypto, Open Source Q&A, and Music Visualization
By Nat TorkingtonOctober 28, 2011
Open Access Week -- a global event promoting Open Access as a new norm in scholarship and research. The Copiale Cipher -- cracking a historical code with computers. Details in the paper: The book describes the initiation of "DER CANDIDAT" into a secret society, some functions of which are encoded with logograms. (via Discover Magazine) Coordino -- open source...
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.
For local news, TV is dominant but the Internet is our digital future - A Pew survey of local news sources reveals the influence of social and mobile trends, along with a generation gap.
September 26, 2011
A new Pew report on local news reveals reasons to be hopeful about digital platforms as information sources. But it's not all positive: The decline of local newspapers will leave a civic gap for local government accountability.
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.
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.
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.
Strata Week: When does data access become data theft? - Questions surround the Aaron Swartz case and Microsoft wants to help scholars with big data.
July 21, 2011
Aaron Swartz faces felony charges for downloading "big data" (more than 4 million academic journals) from the MIT library, Microsoft's new data tool is aimed at scholars, and David Eaves looks at open data efforts in Canada.
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.
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.
Radar's top stories: June 20-24, 2011 - HTML5's influence on web development, data and genetic secrets, and how to build big JavaScript apps with big teams
June 24, 2011
This week on Radar: We looked at the how HTML5 is shaping web development, scientist Charlie Quinn revealed how open source and big data are advancing life sciences, and Nicholas Zakas explained how big teams can build big JavaScript apps.
Big data and open source unlock genetic secrets - Charlie Quinn is mixing data to advance genetic discovery.
June 24, 2011
Genomics scientists Charlie Quinn is combining experimental data with publicly available information to advance the life sciences.
Choosing the right license for open data - Why OpenStreetMap is moving from Creative Commons to the Open Database License.
June 16, 2011
OpenStreetMap founder Steve Coast explains the long and tricky shift from a Creative Commons license to the more data-friendly Open Database License.
Four short links: 15 June 2011 - Hacker Fun, GameBoy in Javascript, Global Mobile Data Prices, and Shackled Science
By Nat TorkingtonJune 15, 2011
HackerTyper -- finally, a way to type like they do in the movies. (via Mark Jason Dominus) GameBoy Emulator in Javascript -- I continue to be astonished at what can now be emulated/written in Javascript. GameBoys are classics for retro game programming and there are plenty of toolkits for creating games for desktop systems. I wonder how long until...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Four short links: 17 March 2011 - Data Manual, Data Processing, Piracy Report, and Fragile Free
By Nat TorkingtonMarch 17, 2011
The Open Data Manual -- a HOWTO for organisations wanting to open up data. This report discusses legal, social and technical aspects of open data. The manual can be used by anyone but is especially designed for those seeking to open up data. It discusses the why, what and how of open data — why to go open, what...
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...
Four short links: 8 February 2011 - Web Memory, Phones Read Cards, Military and Public Data, and NoSQL Merger
By Nat TorkingtonFebruary 8, 2011
Erase and Rewind -- the BBC are planning to close (delete) 172 websites on some kind of cost-cutting measure. i’m very saddened to see the BBC join the ranks of online services that don’t give a damn for posterity. As Simon Willison points out, the British Library will have archived some of the sites (and Internet Archive others, possibly)....
Open data study shows progress, but a long road ahead for open government - The good news: Open data is viewed positively. The bad: There's lots of room for improvement.
By Alex HowardDecember 16, 2010
A new report on the attitudes, quality and use of open government data shows strong support for the release of open data among citizens and government employees.
Dipity taps data for infographics and revenue - Easy-to-use timelines catch on with consumers and publishers.
December 7, 2010
Dipity is making it easier for businesses, media outlets and individual users to create interactive timelines. In the following interview, Dipity co-founder and CEO Derek Dukes discusses the company's business model and the opportunities that come when rich datasets are matched with user-friendly interfaces.
Strata Gems: Where to find data - Starting points for data markets and open data
By Edd DumbillDecember 5, 2010
With the growth of both the open data movement and data marketplaces, there's now a wealth of public data that you can use in your analyses and applications.
Four short links: 30 November 2010 - Git Library, Uncocked Open Data, Role of Editorial, and Network Neutrality Salvo
By Nat TorkingtonNovember 30, 2010
libgit2 -- a linkable git library. Ruby and Python bindings. Open Data: How Not to Cock It Up -- Tom Steinberg lays it out. Algorithm and Crowd are Not Enough -- My point isn’t that Google, Netflix, Amazon, Yelp or any of the others are doomed. But I do think there’s an opportunity brewing for entrepreneurs, websites and companies...
Four short links: 25 November 2010 - Twitter Mapped, Bibliographic Data Released, Babies Engadgeted, and Nat's Christmas Present Sorted
By Nat TorkingtonNovember 25, 2010
A Day in the Life of Twitter (Chris McDowall) -- all geo-tagged tweets from 24h of the Twitter firehose, displayed. Interesting things can be seen, such as Jakarta glowing as brightly as San Francisco. (via Chris's sciblogs post) British Library Release 3M Open Bibliographic Records) (OKFN) -- This dataset consists of the entire British National Bibliography, describing new books...
Coding the middleware for government data - Max Ogden makes a pitch for more data and better open government patches.
By Alex HowardNovember 23, 2010
Code for America Fellow Max Ogden's pitch for better "open government middleware" at the first Ignite Gov highlights the complexity of open data, along with the opportunities for civic hackers to co-create smarter government.
Local government: data supplier - Portland, Oregon's open data lessons can apply elsewhere.
November 9, 2010
Skip Newberry's IgniteGov talk highlighted the potential of open data initiatives to create more economic activity, civic engagement and improve the life of citizens.
Energy data in action - Data from the Department of Energy's OpenEI platform is getting mashed up and put to use.
By Alex HowardOctober 26, 2010
The Open Energy Information (OpenEI) platform from the Department of Energy shows how government data can be mashed up to inform citizens. OpenEI got a moment in the sun at the recent National Science Festival in Washington, D.C.
Four short links: 12 October 2010 - Zen of Open Data, Accurate Judging, Disorienting Game, and Grokking HTTP
By Nat TorkingtonOctober 12, 2010
The Zen of Open Data (Chris McDowall) -- lovely short piece that encapsulates the whole business. The Calculus of Committee Composition (PlosONE) -- using accuracy of judges, cost of a wrong decision, and cost of judges to arrive at the correct number of judges for any given situation. (Breaking news: ice skating gets it wrong) This might be useful...
Four short links: 6 October 2010 - Poetry Translation, Smartphone Sales, Freedom for Machines to Read Information, and Free jQuery Book
By Nat TorkingtonOctober 6, 2010
“Poetic” Statistical Machine Translation: Rhyme and Meter (PDF) -- Google Research paper on how to machine translate text into poetry. This is the best paper I've read in a long time: clever premise, straightforward implementation, and magnificent results. There's a very workable translation of Oscar Wilde's "Ballad of Reading Gaol" into a different meter, which you'll know isn't easy...
Four short links: 30 September 2010 - Python Exercises, Maker Revolution, Dodgy Memes, and Government Licenses
By Nat TorkingtonSeptember 30, 2010
Learn Python The Hard Way -- Zed Shaw's book on programming Python, written as 52 exercises: Each exercise is one or two pages and follows the exact same format. You type each one in (no copy-paste!), make it run, do the extra credit, and then move on. If you get stuck, at least type it in and skip the...
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