data.gov.uk

Big step in the right direction for the government and the liberation of all that data out there. Here is the best article I've found on the subject written by Tim Berners-Lee himself.

Thought this excerpt was particularly poignant as to the function of the web and the opportunities that lie therein...

It's re-use of data in new - and often unexpected - ways that creates both social value and opportunities for economic growth. It's not our job to say where data might be useful; it's our job to unleash it and allow businesses and independent developers to build innovative services which they can then deliver to users. That's the story of technology through the years - and the way the World Wide Web itself has grown over the last twenty years.



c/o of shawn allen

This all feels very relevant given that I had my bike nicked by some reprobate this week. Could we use the data that I then supply to insurance companies and the police in a genuinely beneficial way? I'm going to write a note to each person in my block telling them to watch out (or something like that - haven't quite worked out the editorial tone) but wouldn't it be cool if a letter or email was automatically generated once a month with the crime stats visualised in the area that could then be explored further on a hyperlocal website which linked into the bigger national picture. People would vcertainly feel a lot more connected to the community they lived in if they were given the tools to find out more and interact in a way that suited them.

The whole thing makes me want to get on the blower to these guys and start briefing them, just need to find a willing client...