Government and the Web

Matt Ball recently pointed out an article coming to press at the Yale Journal of Law and Technology, titled “Government Data and the Invisible Hand”. Since I just got back from San Francisco, where I gave a talk titled “Robocop: Public Service in the Internet Age”, it feels like the universe is vibrating on a particular wave length right now, saying

“free your data, let the world play in your garden!”

My talk was itself organized around the ideas presented in the UK “Power of Information” report, which I learned about from a high level civil servant in the BC government.

Vibrate, universe, vibrate!

Coles notes of my talk:

• public service
• on the internet
• is a new medium
• it requires a new approach
• serve online communities
• serve alternative users of information
• provide open access to your information
• remove policy barriers
• expect re-use, encourage it
• use standard formats
• become part of the internet