Last month, the Open Knowledge Foundation blog posted an entry regarding what we can expect from the open data movement. They conclude “that open information and technology will often be complements to institutional change not substitutes,” acknowledging that the release of information from governments is just one step. The next step, they note, is creating action – engaging with the information we have. We have collected some examples of active engagement with data to exemplify this next step:
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For the upcoming Saskatoon municipal election, Whitespace has launched #YXEVotes, which compiles information about candidates and tracks their recent activity. This is a great resource for Saskatonians to get engaged with their local government and is also a fine example of civil society groups using government information to create an active resource for citizens.
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The Information Commissioner of Canada is asking for input and advice on recurring issues related to the Access to Information Act. The Information Commissioner’s website is also offering space for an open dialogue on the Act and we are excited to watch this discussion grow!
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FreedomInfo.org has written an interesting post about the convergence of the access to information and open data communities. This post reminds us of the mixed approach we use to continually update Represent with more data.
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Open Data Communities, a project by the UK’s Department for Communities, and Local Government posted an map charting the subjective understanding of residents’ own well-being around the city of Manchester. This project is fascinating as it is an example of how we can use data to share our experiences, feelings, and habits with one another, to foster understanding and dialogue.