How open should open data be?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bixentro/2199711056/

GoOpen 2011:

How open should open data be?

Bente Kalsnes Communication Advisor, Origo.no

Email: [email protected]: @bentekahttp://blogg.origo.no/

Why should public data be open?

• Openness – democratic principle

• Control • Public data is already paid

for through taxes• Business and innovation

potential

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifesized/4077455319/

Except…• Personal data• National security

data• Internal procedures

in a ministry• Data that can

encourage criminal activity.

Source: Teknologirådet

http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigallen/4320878114/

Privacy = protection of weak from scrutiny by powerful.

Transparency = exposure of powerful to scrutiny by weak.

Yochai Benkler

11 data sets

SOME INTERESTING NORWEGIAN EXAMPLES:

Roads, schools, maps, politics

ROADS

”Bergens Tidende is the first publication that got access to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s data collection of accidents”

- Aftenposten

SCHOOLS

The debate about school testing

MAPS

Maps are essensial for Origo. A-pressen gathers and collect user-created content

from local blogs at Origo.

Price tag for using public, detailed maps (FBK) at Origo:

500.000 NOK A YEAR + 3 ØRE PR CLICK

We’re naturally using Google maps…

Is it right that public data should be that expensive?

The more people use them, the more expensive the maps become. Not a very good

business model…

POLITICS

VOTING DATA FROM STORTINGET, THE

PARLIAMENT

Foto: Stortinget, Flickr, CC

MØRE OG ROMSDAL COUNTY AT STORTINGET

BUT WHERE IS THE API FOR EACH MP PROFILE?

OR EVEN VOTING DATA?

CONTEXUALISING OF INFORMATION, EX. DANISH INFORMATION

HURRAY!

STORTINGET HAS PROMISED THAT STRUCTURED DATA AND API’S SHOULD BE IN PLACE BY THE SUMMER..

LOCAL POLITICS

THE MUNICIPALITY’S WEB SITE

Which political party has most influence?

HARAMSNYTT

THIS IS HOW THE JOURNALIST DID IT:

• Contacted the municipality to get voting and proposal data from the previous 3 years.

• Registering the data and the outcome of the vote in a spreadsheet.

• Could present which political party got most or least of their suggestions adopted.

How have they solved this in the UK and the US?

Norway need:

• Increased awareness within government on the value of open data

• Increased knowledge in the media business about how to deal with public data

• Computer supporter journalism must be closely integrated in universities.

• A technological ”Fritt Ord” for tech innovation.

Thanks!

Bente Kalsnes Kommunikasjonsrådgiver, Origo.no

E-post: [email protected]: @benteka

http://www.slideshare.net/benteka