<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:Courier New, courier, monaco, monospace, sans-serif;font-size:14pt"><div>Somewhat tangentially related, the following may be of interest:</div><div><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 19px; font-family: 'Courier New', courier, monaco, monospace, sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; "><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>OPEN DATA<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>Requesting
Government Data: </b>The next step in open use of government data is a form on
data.gov.uk to enable anyone who has an idea for a dataset which is not yet
accessible to make a request and indicate the benefits of releasing the data.
Possible options given on the form for use of data are community work or
research, as well as business or personal use. Open Data User Group's latest
article at <a href="http://data.gov.uk/blog/odugs-call-for-open-data-requests">http://data.gov.uk/blog/odugs-call-for-open-data-requests</a>,
form at <a href="http://data.gov.uk/node/add/data-request">http://data.gov.uk/node/add/data-request</a>.
<span style="font-size:8.0pt"><VolResource> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Elsewhere,<b> VCS
Open</b> aims to provide a directory of VCS Open Data across the web with a
showcase of opened data – data which has been hacked or analysed to yield exciting
results. The blog includes a report on Lasa’s recent open data event. <b><a href="http://vcsopen.wordpress.com/">http://vcsopen.wordpress.com/</a>
</b><span style="font-size:8.0pt"><ICT E-Bulletin></span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; margin-top: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> <div style="font-family: 'Courier New', courier, monaco, monospace, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; "> <div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt; "> <div dir="ltr"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Nick Rhodes <nick@ngrhodes.co.uk><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> bradford@mailman.lug.org.uk <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, 17 October 2012, 15:20<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Bradford] gov.uk site out of beta today<br> </font> </div> <br><div id="yiv1488542943">Today can be considered the official launch of <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"
href="http://www.gov.uk/">www.gov.uk</a> as it moves out of beta.<br><br>There is a jaw droppingly yawn-some opening speech <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/10/16/gov-uk-the-start/">http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/10/16/gov-uk-the-start/</a><br>
<br>You can get lots of bland over edited blurb about users first, transparency etc <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/10/17/why-gov-uk-matters/">http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2012/10/17/why-gov-uk-matters/</a><br>
<br>And something for the geeks - open source technologies listed: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govuk-launch-colophon/">http://digital.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govuk-launch-colophon/</a><br><br>As someone who works for the Gov indirectly (under the DoH, but NHS employed), there has been a lot of talk about reducing licensing costs and open source as a term seems quite popular amongst the management as a method of avoid paying license fees. I have no indication that they actually understand what open source is (they all think open source = free). I just hope its an initiative that that becomes more than a token gesture to satisfy some Ministerial whims and goes on to provide better value to our citizens.<br>
<br>Cheers, Nick.<br>
</div><br>_______________________________________________<br>Bradford mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:Bradford@mailman.lug.org.uk" href="mailto:Bradford@mailman.lug.org.uk">Bradford@mailman.lug.org.uk</a><br><a href="https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/bradford" target="_blank">https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/bradford</a><br><br><br> </div> </div> </blockquote></div> </div></body></html>