Beers for Canada: Visiblegovernment.ca Fundraiser

July 1, 2009 in open access, openmovement, projects, web by Hugh | Permalink

beers for canadaFor the price of a beer (or a pitcher, or a round), you can support VisibleGovernment.ca … the non-profit that promotes online tools for government transparency, openness and accessibility around government and civic data (yay!).

They’ve got a little fundraiser going, in celebration of Canada Day: Beers for Canada …

How we’ll spend your money

We work on several aspects of transparency:

  • Creating new tools: We work with developers and designers to build websites that encourage citizens and governments to communicate openly.
  • Encouraging government openness: We show elected officials the benefits of open, two-way discourse, highlighting places where information is lacking and celebrating the efforts of those who want to be more transparent.
  • Public awareness: We emphasize the civic importance of transparency and open government.
  • Working with other organizations: We share and collaborate with organizations like the Sunlight Foundation, MySociety and Changecamp.

We’re also organizing Code For Canada, an application design competition that awards prizes to people who build web, facebook, and iPhone apps that provide visualization, analysis, and access to federal government data sets.

So, go support a worthy cause.

Access to Broadband Data

June 11, 2009 in Access, canada, datasets, federal government, infrastructure, maps by Tracey | 1 comment

Last night I attended the Town Hall Discussion on The Future of the Internet: Access, Openness and Inclusion. There was a hint from the moderator Marita Moll that Industry Canada as part of its Broadband Program might be releasing a map of Canadian broadband. There has been some interesting discussion in the US about access to broadband data at Off the Map and a podcast at All Points Blog. An E-Scan report has been done in Ontario on possibilities for the development of a Broadband Atlas for Ontarians. In all cases access to infrastructure data are highlighted as barriers, particularly as infrastructure has increasingly become privatized and splintered.

Social Workers and Engineers

June 3, 2009 in government, Uncategorized by Tracey | Permalink

The UK Guardian has published data associated with an analysis of the employment sex gap. These data have re-affirmed my observations: technology (geomatics, computer science, IT, etc.) conferences = boys, social policy (homelessness, poverty, child abuse, etc.) conferences = girls. If we looked at the salary data associated with these professions, we would see a greater gap. If we played with more data, we could interpolate social status and political influence, and I speculate a greater gap still. Most interesting since many of our biggest challenges are social and not technical, but alas we value it less in terms of remuneration, status and power. I would tell you the Canadians story with data, but alas, these are too expensive to purchase from Statistics Canada.

The sex gap: which jobs do women and men do?

The sex gap: which jobs do women and men do?

Canada National Research Council – Gateway to Scientific Data

May 29, 2009 in Uncategorized by Tracey | Permalink

National Research Council Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, NRC-CISTI launches Gateway to Scientific Data.

This is very exciting news. The Gateway includes data, data management and curation content.

Access & Curation

Access & Curation

Scientific data generated during the research process can be an important resource for researchers, but only if it is accessible and usable. Thanks to a new initiative of the NRC Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (NRC-CISTI) researchers now have a central gateway for easier access to Canadian scientific, technical and medical (STM) data sets and other important data repositories.

The Gateway to Scientific Data will help ensure that the valuable data generated by Canadian researchers [are] more easily accessible so that it can be re-used for other research endeavours. With the ability to access and use data from a multitude of sources, researchers will be better positioned to turn research into discoveries and innovations. …

Along with links to data sets, the new Gateway provides links to selected policies and best practices guiding data management and curation activities in Canada. It also includes links to selected journals and upcoming conferences and meetings.

The Gateway to Scientific Data is part of NRC-CISTI’s contribution to a broader national initiative undertaken by the Research Data Strategy (RDS) Working Group to address the challenges and issues surrounding the access and preservation of data arising from Canadian research. …

Via: Open Access News

Change Camp Ottawa: Open Data and Open Access

May 23, 2009 in Access, Uncategorized by Tracey | Permalink

Mark Tovey over at World Changing Canada wrote up the notes from the Access to Data Session that I gave at Change Camp Ottawa.

I was most impressed at the composition of the Group (+/30 people) and the nature of the discussion. I have also had some great follow up conversations with officials at various levels of governments as a result of that session. Kudos to the Change Camp organizers!

US Data.gov

May 21, 2009 in Access, policy, Uncategorized by Tracey | Permalink

This is a beautiful thing!

I have spent the last few days dialing for data for a variety of projects. I have called the Feds, the Province of Ontario, Public Health, the City of Ottawa, school boards, MPPs, school trustees, and any number of organizations. No one knows where the data I am looking for are. They assure me they exists however. I have been playing telephone tag, sending emails from government websites and I am being told that the “New Government” does not like to share! Exasperated, at the end of the day, I find the dream tool that gets citizens closer to their public data. We just need the Canadian version!. I know we can – Yes we can!

US Government Data

US Government Data

The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government. Although the initial launch of Data.gov provides a limited portion of the rich variety of Federal datasets presently available, we invite you to actively participate in shaping the future of Data.gov by suggesting additional datasets and site enhancements to provide seamless access and use of your Federal data. Visit today with us, but come back often. With your help, Data.gov will continue to grow and change in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

City of Toronto going Open Data?

May 21, 2009 in Uncategorized by Tracey | Permalink

Looks like the City of Toronto is also considering opening its data. Lets see!

Via: Visible Government
Rabble.ca: Video Announcement by the Mayor

Open Vancouver City

May 20, 2009 in academia, Access, canada, datasets, geo, government, infrastructure, open access, policy, tools by Tracey | Permalink

The City of Vancouver will soon vote on a Motion to have:

  • Open Standards
  • Open Source
  • Open Data

    • CBC News: Vancouver mulls making itself an ‘open city’, by Emily Chung

    Via: Digital Copyright Canada

    Disease Death to News Ratio

    May 13, 2009 in Uncategorized by Tracey | Permalink

    More at Gapminder
    Via: My Heart’s in Accra

    Demographics in a grains of rice

    May 13, 2009 in Uncategorized by Tracey | Permalink

    Of all the people in the world has a grain of rice represent one person and each pile has a theme that represents us. I like how this makes data accessible.

    As you enter the performance space, you will be given a grain of rice. This grain is you. Inside people are waiting. Millions of them. Each represented by a grain of rice. 15 tonnes of rice – over 897 million grains – one for everyone in the Americas. As you explore the extraordinary landscape of rice hills and mountains stretching out in front of you, you discover every pile represents a different population. Together these piles tell hundreds of stories, stories of people and politics, history and current affairs.

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