Retiring DataTO.org

[Mark Kuznicki]

I'm sending this message to let the Toronto open data community know that I am officially retiring the DataTO.org website.

DataTO.org was created to fill a particular need at a particular time, when the City of Toronto first launched its open data catalogue at toronto.ca/open, to help identify the community's needs and preferences in order to help the City plan future dataset releases. We were lucky that developer Adam Thody and David Suydam of Architech Solutions stepped up as good community citizens to custom build the DataTO.org site very quickly (and for free) so that it could co-launch with the City's catalogue. I have provided hosting for the site since it was created.

Our original vision was to build out a platform that could provide structured community around data that was regional or even larger in scope, not just for one particular data publisher. While that vision was never realized, I know DataTO.org has helped the City identify, prioritize and publish new datasets.

Since DataTO.org was created, Toronto's Pete Forde of Toronto and his talented crew created BuzzData. With BuzzData's vision to provide the social and collaboration infrastructure around data everywhere - well beyond our initially regional vision for DataTO.org - and their commitment to this space, it appears that the need to provide community around data will be well served in the future.

BuzzData does not currently provide data users with a structured way to submit, comment, rate and rank new (unpublished) dataset requests directed at specific data publishers as DataTO did. I think this would be a great enhancement, have communicated this to Pete and the BuzzData team and I hope to see their product enhanced to meet this need in the near future.

As I reviewed how things have developed since launch, it became clear that Adam and I did not have the time or the real need to further develop the platform along the lines of the original vision. I made a few attempts to find another community sponsor to take over the hosting and further development of the site, but none was forthcoming. Given that, it didn't make sense to continue pay  for hosting a platform with no real future while others like Buzzdata have stepped up in such a big way.

The DataTO.org site code has been published to Github as open source (https://github.com/thody/DataTO) and is available for any developer who wants to fork it or further develop the platform. (The platform also underpins DataOtt.org for Ottawa, and that site is still in operation.)

With the retirement of DataTO.org, our friends at the City might miss this facility for soliciting the community's requests and feedback in a structured social way. As the City develops the future of toronto.ca/open and evaluates social and collaborative tool options for data, I'm sure they will find a solution that works for them and the community.

In the meantime this Google Group is here anytime to facilitate conversations about data. This Group will continue to provide a space for Toronto's open data community to find each other and connect about all the exciting opportunities for data to make our city an even better place to live, work and play.

While I'm not spending as much of my time on open data and open government as I have in the past (busy starting up new company The Moment, http://TheMoment.is!), I will continue to watch and participate as a member of the community and occasional advocate. There's a big part of the story yet to be written, and much work to be done.

Best Regards,

Mark Kuznicki

@remarkk

[scot...@gmail.com]

Good job Mark. FYI .. Have some cops riding in Coldest Day of the Year Bike Ride in support of IsThisBikeStolen.com .. Thanks for all your work..and good luck with your new company. 

Kind Regards,

Scott

Text: : 647-449-2801

[Jury Konga]

Hi Mark,

 

Thanks for all efforts in this space over the last couple of years – the community appreciates it.  Best of luck and continued success with the Moment Is.

 

Cheers    Jury

@jkonga