FixMyStreet - AU - OpenAustralia Community

The old Google Groups will be going away soon, but your browser is incompatible with the new version.
Message from discussion FixMyStreet - AU
Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of richlarco...@gmail.com designates 209.85.214.49 as permitted sender) client-ip=209.85.214.49;
MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <CAJsZyFBqnYWCfy9EKa6XpEeS8pCbjfvB75SYmPD-nVfpJc_...@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAJsZyFBqnYWCfy9EKa6XpEeS8pCbjfvB75SYmPD-nVfpJc_...@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2012 12:41:46 +1000
Message-ID: <CANM+nk_M-Ns-d1cgx3Qz06+PNF2t7scasqxzhqoE-CdAsP=...@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: FixMyStreet - AU
From: Rich Larcombe <richlarco...@gmail.com>
To: openaustralia-dev@googlegroups.com
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=0015175cd10079466504c1b09799

--0015175cd10079466504c1b09799
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Would like to contribute with a couple points to ponder (having been
integral to the creation of Neatstreets a couple of years ago i've been
through the pain).

For a successful system, the work effort is largely going to be related to
the daily support of issues that arise from public reports - i.e unrelated
to the technology. It's usually down to council process / privacy /
boundary issues etc. All of which need to be treated on a per issue basis,
applying the same logic for all councils is generally not possible,
although am hopeful things will standardise over time.
So taking a long term view, getting a system up and running i would say is
25% of the work (especially given the options for inheriting a code base),
the question of who is going to volunteer to do the other 75% of daily
triaging and specific problem solving and report chasing is the question
you really should answer before planning development - or at the latest
going live.

The beauty of SnapSendSolve is that there is no triaging overhead because
there's no intermediary platform, but then people will argue that exposing
all issues in one place to the scrutiny of public is main purpose or power
of the system.

Myself and another colleague went to great lengths to attempt to convince
the management to open source neatstreets when we were working there.
Obviously we didn't succeed, but looking back i no longer see the openness
of the neatstreets source code as being nearly as important as the openness
and accessibility of the data.
Ideally all councils should chip in to fund the ongoing running costs of
whatever system wins out, and the public should win by having a single
reliable service with full access to all data.

Please keep the group updated with how you travel with this, i may be able
to chip in from time to time.

Regards
Rich

p.s i would try out both these systems for your bus stop issue, even if you
decide to press on with a fixmystreet solution.





On 3 June 2012 16:33, Daniel O'Connor <daniel.ocon...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hey guys,
> I know there are JIRAs and what have you about this concept, but it hasn't
> quite taken off since 2009 - Heck, the ACT government managed to beat Open
> Australia to the punch.
>
> Unfortunately the only other open platform I knew of was *It's Buggered
> Mate* - source on github (
> https://github.com/lonelyplanet/its-buggered-mate - ruby), but dead and
> gone at the moment.
>
> I've got a bit of time on my hands; and one choice to make:
> Do I fork: https://github.com/visiblegovernment/django-fixmystreet (python)
> or https://github.com/mysociety/fixmystreet (perl)
>
> Both are maintained, but the perl version is probably driven by more
> momentum.
>
> Since I'm likely to churn out a bunch of code in a short time then go
> quiet, for this to work I'd need collaborators - what do we have more of in
> the OA community? Python, Ruby or Perl? Or even, heaven forfend, PHP.
> Who would be interested in this?
> What other code (iphone app mockups in JIRA?) already exists for this?
>
>
> My immediate objectives would be:
>
>    - Get the model of LGAs done right. I'm sure there's data from ABS and
>    planning alerts, plus freebase - it just needs cleaning and importing into
>    whatever structure is in those projects.
>    - Start a giant spreadsheet or similar of *who to contact* or *how to
>    report problems* to your local council - email reports + a link are no
>    doubt supported already by fixmystreet, and worst case it's easy to make a
>    fax cover sheet and a 'print now' button.
>    - Refactor the address/street autocomplete - google or open street map
>    should have adequate replacements
>    - Ingest geonames or australia post or *something* else to relate
>    addresses/geolocations to LGAs
>    - Look around at other, non council authorities. I have a broken bus
>    stop near my house which is bugging me immensely and driving me to fix this.
>
>
>  --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "OpenAustralia Community" group.
> To post to this group, send email to openaustralia-dev@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> openaustralia-dev+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/openaustralia-dev?hl=en.
>

--0015175cd10079466504c1b09799
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Would like to contribute with a couple points to ponder (having been integr=
al to the creation of Neatstreets a couple of years ago i&#39;ve been throu=
gh the pain).<div><br></div><div>For a=A0successful=A0system, the work effo=
rt is largely going to be related to the daily support of issues that arise=
 from public reports - i.e unrelated to the technology. It&#39;s usually do=
wn to council process / privacy / boundary issues etc. All of which need to=
 be treated on a per issue basis, applying the same logic for all councils =
is generally not possible, although am hopeful things will standardise over=
 time.</div>
<div>So taking a long term view, getting a system up and running i would sa=
y is 25% of the work (especially given the options for inheriting a code ba=
se), the question of who is going to volunteer to do the other 75% of daily=
 triaging and specific problem solving and report chasing is the question y=
ou really should answer before planning development - or at the latest goin=
g live.</div>
<div><br></div><div>The beauty of SnapSendSolve is that there is no triagin=
g overhead because there&#39;s no=A0intermediary platform, but then people =
will argue that exposing all issues in one place to the scrutiny of public=
=A0is main purpose or power of the system.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Myself and another=A0colleague went to great lengths to=
 attempt to convince the management to open source neatstreets when we were=
 working there. Obviously we didn&#39;t=A0succeed, but looking back i no lo=
nger see the openness of the neatstreets source code as being nearly as imp=
ortant as the openness and accessibility of the data.=A0</div>
<div>Ideally all councils should chip in to fund the ongoing running costs =
of whatever system wins out, and the public should win by having a single r=
eliable service with full access to all data. =A0</div><div><br></div><div>
Please keep the group updated with how you travel with this, i may be able =
to chip in from time to time.</div><div><br></div><div>Regards</div><div>Ri=
ch</div><div><br></div><div>p.s i would try out both these systems for your=
 bus stop issue, even if you decide to press on with a fixmystreet solution=
.</div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div><div>=A0<br><br><div clas=
s=3D"gmail_quote">On 3 June 2012 16:33, Daniel O&#39;Connor <span dir=3D"lt=
r">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:daniel.ocon...@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">daniel=
.ocon...@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hey guys,<br>I know there are JIRAs and what=
 have you about this concept, but it hasn&#39;t quite taken off since 2009 =
- Heck, the ACT government managed to beat Open Australia to the punch.<div=
>
<br></div><div>Unfortunately the only other open platform I knew of was <i>=
It&#39;s Buggered Mate</i>=A0- source on github (<a href=3D"https://github.=
com/lonelyplanet/its-buggered-mate" target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/lo=
nelyplanet/its-buggered-mate</a>=A0- ruby), but dead and gone at the moment=
.</div>

<div><br>I&#39;ve got a bit of time on my hands; and one choice to make:</d=
iv><div>Do I fork:=A0<a href=3D"https://github.com/visiblegovernment/django=
-fixmystreet" target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/visiblegovernment/django=
-fixmystreet</a>=A0(python) or=A0<a href=3D"https://github.com/mysociety/fi=
xmystreet" target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/mysociety/fixmystreet</a>=
=A0(perl)</div>

<div><br></div><div>Both are maintained, but the perl version is probably d=
riven by more momentum.</div><div><br></div><div>Since I&#39;m likely to ch=
urn out a bunch of code in a short time then go quiet, for this to work I&#=
39;d need collaborators - what do we have more of in the OA community? Pyth=
on, Ruby or Perl? Or even, heaven forfend, PHP.</div>

<div>Who would be interested in this?=A0</div><div>What other code (iphone =
app mockups in JIRA?) already exists for this?</div><div><br></div><div><br=
></div><div>My immediate objectives would be:</div><div><ul><li>Get the mod=
el of LGAs done right. I&#39;m sure there&#39;s data from ABS and planning =
alerts, plus freebase - it just needs cleaning and importing into whatever =
structure is in those projects.</li>

<li>Start a giant spreadsheet or similar of <i>who to contact</i>=A0or <i>h=
ow to report problems</i>=A0to your local council - email reports + a link =
are no doubt supported already by fixmystreet, and worst case it&#39;s easy=
 to make a fax cover sheet and a &#39;print now&#39; button.</li>

<li>Refactor the address/street autocomplete - google or open street map sh=
ould have adequate replacements</li><li>Ingest geonames or australia post o=
r <i>something</i>=A0else to relate addresses/geolocations to LGAs</li><li>

Look around at other, non council authorities. I have a broken bus stop nea=
r my house which is bugging me immensely and driving me to fix this.</li></=
ul><span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br></font></span></div>
<span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888">

<p></p>

-- <br>
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups &=
quot;OpenAustralia Community&quot; group.<br>
To post to this group, send email to <a href=3D"mailto:openaustralia-dev@go=
oglegroups.com" target=3D"_blank">openaustralia-dev@googlegroups.com</a>.<b=
r>
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to <a href=3D"mailto:openaustral=
ia-dev%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups.com" target=3D"_blank">openaustralia-dev+=
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com</a>.<br>

For more options, visit this group at <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/g=
roup/openaustralia-dev?hl=3Den" target=3D"_blank">http://groups.google.com/=
group/openaustralia-dev?hl=3Den</a>.<br>


</font></span></blockquote></div><br></div></div>

--0015175cd10079466504c1b09799--
Create a group - Google Groups - Google Home - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy
Account Options
