Building the guidelines/standards for Open Data Initiative.
Ajay Kumar
Sorry for the delayed reply. (also changing subject line)
a few things I'd suggest might be quite useful
> Now the next step would be to devise a methodology for the same. Anyone with an experience with playing around with data and standards, can help us suggest a better way to approach this.
in the intermediate- and long-term
(despite being a bit of work in the short-term)
as we have found in our recent work with
the US Federal Election Commission data/files:
1) develop relationship diagrams (linking)
related data is often stored in multiple files
even files in multiple locations w multiple access methods
and having documentation of what keys link different data
is very valuable in figuring out how to
form coherent & integrated information for the citizen-user
in applications and servers developed by the group
2) develop schemas & convert data to XML-form (defining)
clear definitions of data structure & constraints is critical
to understanding and manipulating it
and is often either present alongside the files in "metadata"
or can be constructed through examination of the data
with the data in XML-form conforming to your schemata
transformations and queries of the data
as well as reformation of logically-linked data
into more useful files/documents
becomes much much easier
as does producing useful outputs for citizen-users
3) develop open RESTful API(s) for access
this is a very powerful way to ensure
client and server code and logic is disentangled
thus enabling others not in the group
to also develop their own clients
as well as enabling the development of
unexpected (at the front end of development)
uses of the data
take Twitter as an example of this...
part of their success is because
they enabled a client-code-focused ecosystem to develop
through separating client & server code
and through keeping an open RESTful API
I have been digging up resources on this myself. But yes, they seem lot of work right now. I'd suggest we put these on our wiki page so that new people dont get confused and have something very simple to follow.
As for me, I am working on the CWC Water data, since I could use it for decision making process at our DRR Project since the flood phase is approaching. (any help there by coders is appreciated ;) )
So for now, I am gonna just do a quick hack for what I need and meanwhile we can work on something proper keeping in mind the long term suggestions like yours.
I'd suggest other's who are interested in this area to help us build the guidelines on the wiki under http://ictd.asia/wiki/Open_Data_Initiative
More soon!
--
Best Regards,
Ajay Kumar
http://www.ajuonline.net
Jeff Sonstein
it is summertime here
so I sometimes don't "get around to" checking email
for a day or two
(lazy sloth that I can be <grin/>)
On Jul 7, 2010, at 6:13 AM, Ajay Kumar wrote:
> > Now the next step would be to devise a methodology for the same. Anyone with an
> > experience with playing around with data and standards, can help us suggest a better way to approach this.
>
> >> a few things I'd suggest might be quite useful
> >> in the intermediate- and long-term [...]
> I'd suggest we put these on our wiki page so that new people dont get confused and have something very simple to follow.
what would you like as a title for a new wiki page?
strategies? longer-term tasks? guidelines? or <fill_in_the_blank/>?
I don't mind initially being the voice of
"thinking past the problem-of-today"
> As for me, I am working on the CWC Water data, since I could use it for decision making process at our DRR Project since the flood phase is approaching. (any help there by coders is appreciated ;) )
come September and the start of the new academic year here
it will be easier to recruit folks
particularly if there is a page up
specifying clearly what a project is and what help is needed
jeffs
--
Lyndon Johnson said the two things that
make politicians behave more stupidly
than anything else are sex and envy. You
might add one more: proximity. I always
think men are more prone to get seduced
by proximity into making unwise choices.
They tend to be a bit lazy. They'll grab the
closest doughnut off the platter.
- Maureen Dowd -
============
Prof. Jeff Sonstein
http://www.ist.rit.edu/~jxs/
http://ariadne.iz.net/~jeffs/
http://chw.rit.edu/blog/
http://ariadne.iz.net/~jeffs/jeffs.asc
http://www.it.rit.edu/~jxs/emailDisclaimer.html
Ajay Kumar
what would you like as a title for a new wiki page?
strategies? longer-term tasks? guidelines? or <fill_in_the_blank/>?
I don't mind initially being the voice of
"thinking past the problem-of-today"
come September and the start of the new academic year here
> As for me, I am working on the CWC Water data, since I could use it for decision making process at our DRR Project since the flood phase is approaching. (any help there by coders is appreciated ;) )
it will be easier to recruit folks
particularly if there is a page up
specifying clearly what a project is and what help is needed