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alexander.sadleir

User Profile Image alexander.sadleir
Member since : Sep-04-2009 (Verified)
3 Ideas, 6 Comments, 21 Votes

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Ideas Posted

https://www.tenders.gov.au/ has alot of useful information and an export data feed (https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.reports.listCNWeeklyExport) but it isn't easily accessable and the licencing isn't very friendly. Only 500 records can be downloaded per search; this is about a quiet day's worth of data. This kind of information has been very useful in other mashups such as http://www.usaspending.gov/ and http://data.octo.dc.gov/
The Taskforce could provide a wiki like page for community groups and government agencies to register their interests/assets in Public Sector Information.
For example, potential datasources that aren't published openly could be identified and against them, potential applications could be defined. Community groups could define what kind of PSI they already use, what kinds of data they would like to use and how they could improve the utility/quality of that information.
This would make it easier to see at a glance the potential benefits of opening PSI and what value is being lost by restricting PSI.
Several submissions have shown concerns that Creative Commons licencing is potentially harmful. While there is work under way to broadly analyse the Intellectual Property barriers to open licencing, a specific statement about the real risks of open licenses to government information (if any) and how to still achieve openness despite them is required.
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Comments Posted

alexander.sadleir 6 months ago
I think it's important that the data is open rather than just provided to google; it should be published on their website. The google data format has been well designed but there's potential applications out of google maps such as simulating alternate routes for research purposes as well as providing data of bus stop locations for OpenStreetMap.
Many international transit providers and Transperth already publish this kind of information publically - http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/TimetablesMaps/SpatialDataAccess/tabid/254/Default.aspx
And when ACTION get their fancy new ticketing system, they'll be well prepared to open that data too ;)
alexander.sadleir 6 months ago
Geoscience already provide many "free" maps, including a 1988 vegetation map @ https://www.ga.gov.au/products/servlet/controller?event=DEFINE_PRODUCTS .
IANAL but the OSDM licence they provide seems analogous to the CC-BY-AT licence with the attribution being a copyright notice.

They also have an online map tool @ https://www.ga.gov.au/mapconnect/ but this isn't the same as what OpenStreetMap provide - you can't embed it or put placemarkers on it easily. Many government sites are relying on Google Maps or their own "slippy map" (or obsolete online maps even) so there may be a benefit to using/contributing to OSM or providing an equivilent service.
alexander.sadleir 6 months ago
Although I whole heartedly support this (I've been trying to build up the bus network for Canberra in OpenStreetMap) and have considered writing to ACTION about it once they get their Google Transit feed, isn't this a local government issue?

Then again, they have been sitting on that google transit feed a while (Google said it would be done by the end of june - http://google-au.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-australia-opens-doors-to-our-new.html) so anything to push them along is good!
alexander.sadleir 6 months ago
http://www.australia.gov.au/about/whats-new

Already being done :)
alexander.sadleir 6 months ago
Ah! That's a much better term. I can't revise the title but I'll alter the wording slightly to better convey that idea.
alexander.sadleir 6 months ago
"but to preserve privacy not go to individual address level."
Why shouldn't it go to an individual address level? That kind of accuracy is essential for many applications. For example, if I wanted to see how many doctors/child care centers/public telephones were in each electorate/census area/postcode and I had a list of locations as street addresses. Google Maps already provides geocoding (and reverse geocoding) down to the street address level. PSMA already provide geocoding down to the street address level via the Geocoded National Address File.

In fact, opening up the PSMA data would achieve this goal. This central source should also have scope for accepting corrections - the PSMA data isn't perfectly accurate at the street level but local agencies that know the area can quickly identify problems.