Hackathon December 3rd

[sdixon]

Please pardon non-beer related post.

The world's most innovative cities are openly sharing information between governments, academia and the community to improve citizen's services and stimulate their creative economy. How can we harness ideas to develop knowledge, insight and tools to drive better service delivery?
Fredericton Hackathon - taking place on International Open Data Day - is an interactive session involving the most innovative strategic policy thinkers, creative programmers and developers we know. It's also a step towards a new world of open data and open government. The event supports ongoing efforts to explore the potential of sharing information and databases to improve citizen engagement, accountability and government services.

http://hiveframework.ca/delivery/view/d9cabcb0f4e5dd4367f72cddfecd98b2

Feel free to submit with my name so we know how much pizza to buy :-)

[Richard]

I'm a little hung over so this is probably going to sound harsher than I intend, but I don't go to these things when they're "in aid of" government or any private entity - always feels like they're just trying to get something for free.

That said I might tag along for a bit if you're going, but I probably won't engage too much. When you do this stuff for your day job it's not really in your interest to do it for free

[sdixon]

No not harsh at all, but then again there is no need to soften opinions and comments anyway. Personally, I agree with your thoughts on helping the corporate interests for free, but there is a complex relationship between open source, open data, crowd developed services and democratizing the software economy. I believe it creates opportunity even as it gives development away.

I support this particular HackFest for open data because it is intended to illustrate to government the need to provide access to government -- read "our" -- data that taxpayers have already payed for. Convincing government to provide easy access to "our" data creates an environment of opportunity for the so called little guy -- that would be you Richard ;-).

There is also the altruistic argument of helping society if you should subscribe to that concept

Beer

[Richard]

I started writing a response but rapidly realised that it was political, and I'm keeping that stuff off-board

OSS and I have had a very weird relationship over the years, and not one that I could draw on to make much more than a politically charged response to your post there. I've both contributed to and taken from OSS, but it's a concept I don't believe in entirely.

Suffice to say that when it comes to technology, I am a capitalist

I'll drop by anyway on the off-chance that something comes from such an environment of opportunity... Are you involved with running this thing?

[sdixon]

Yes I am helping with this event. You're right...  this could be a long thread unto its own

[sdixon]

Since this thread already exists:

http://embassymag.ca/dailyupdate/view/statistics_canada_to_make_all_online_data_free_11-24-2011

Beer

[Richard]

Beer