The Technology Forum of Delaware took a look at the growing use open data at a recent meeting.
Open data involves the use of the growing volume of government information that is now available online. One common example is the information available from the National Weather Service.
Open data is being used around the world as local governments, citizens and business look for ways to solve problems, using the vast amount of data that is available online.
One example of the use of open data comes from Anchorage, Alaska, where the local government struggled with the issue of fire hydrants becoming covered with snow. The city launched an “adopt a hydrant” program that proved successful.
In other cases, information available on smartphone apps has been used to deal with other challenges.
Some municipalities, including New York City, have started open data initiatives.
The State of Delaware has a listing of open data information HERE.
Some cautionary notes were part of the discussion.
For example, three different types of data, in of themselves, may seem innocuous. However, when the data is compared, privacy issues might crop up.
Another question is the ability of government to manage the information. More than once, private information, such as Social Security numbers have been accidentally released. Presenters were Christian Bosch, David Morse, Michael DaGrossa and Dave Nagy.
The Technology Forum of Delaware meets regularly to discuss issues of interest to the business and technology communities.
For more information on the forum, CLICK HERE
