Open government & transparency

[txopengov-blog]

Back Mic is a great tool to follow bills in the current Texas Legislative session, and allows users to add their voice.  Transparency meets civic engagement!

[txopengov-blog]

OpenCongress has a fantastic set of open gov resources for the state of Texas (as well as other states!), including a set of tools made specifically to follow the current legislative session.

[buzzdatablog]

Canada's Open Data vs. The World

[txopengov-blog]

buzzdatablog:

View Open Data Hubs Worldwide in a larger map

How does Canada’s new open data site data.gc.ca compare on an international scale? You be the judge. BuzzData compiled 84 other portals worldwide. Check them out — which ones do you like best? Why? Let us know — we’ll post the most insightful answers!

(Oh, and let us know about site status changes too!)   [email protected]

[txopengov-blog]

The Knight Commission is doing great work on the role of government data transparency in fostering engaged communities.  They place open data in context, setting it next to issues such as broadband access, civic engagement and media literacy.  Great reading!

[txopengov-blog]

Tim Berners-Lee, the "father of the world wide web," on the importance of open data.

-Michael

mixedrealities:

Tim Berners-Lee explaining very well why open data is so important, giving some great examples. 

[sunfoundation]

[txopengov-blog]

Google Transparency Report - interesting read!

-Michael

sunfoundation:

Google Transparency Report

Like other technology and communications companies, we regularly receive requests from government agencies around the world to remove content from our services, or provide information about users of our services and products. This map shows the number of requests that we received in six-month blocks with certain limitations.

[sectorpublic-blog]

[txopengov-blog]

Varying branches of government not as open as promised? Here's an overview from Wired

-Michael

sectorpublic:

Sunshine Week happened March 13-19, and was an effort by various journalism organizations to highlight government transparency. While some of it was certainly positive, with blog posts by White House and administration officials highlighting their Open Government efforts, Wired had a different take. Read more at David Kravets’ Wired Threat Level blog, where he highlights many ways in which is government is still opaque, particularly but not exclusively in the Legislative Branch.

[txopengov-blog]

Recent policy papers released by the Knight Foundation and the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program. Absolutely worth a look.

-Michael

[txopengov-blog]

Alex Howard's recent posting about the NYC city gov's citizensourcing efforts.  Not a fan of Goldsmith, but still interesting.

-Michael

[techgeom-blog]

[txopengov-blog]

Interesting

-Michael

techgeom:

As everyone could read it on specialized sites or blogs like mine that is a new open data movement associated with the geospatial revolution in the United States.

The power of digital information to catalyze progress IS limited only by The Power of the human mind. Data Are Not Consumed By...

[szamitogepesnyelveszet-deactiva]

Joining the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand and a host of other jurisdictions already leading the way around the world, the Australian Government has now launched its official government data sharing website, www.data.gov.au

Australian Government launches data.gov.au

(via szamitogepesnyelveszet)

[sunfoundation]

[txopengov-blog]

The Sun Foundation's report card on state gov transparency... lo and behold, Texas gets an "A"

-Michael

sunfoundation:

State Transparency Website Scorecard

Check each state’s website transparency score.

[mcasaje-deactivated20120227]

[txopengov-blog]

Canada launches open data initiative

-Michael

[ziadrazak]

[txopengov-blog]

An interesting and relevant read

-Michael

[bostonphoenix]

[txopengov-blog]

From the Boston Phoenix, a critical look at the new open gov initiative in MA

-Michael

bostonphoenix:

According to a member of the board of the New England First Ammendment Coalition, not very:

If you’ve visited the official Bay State website recently, you’ve probably seen a new section prominently displayed on the home page called “Massachusetts Transparency.”

Let me be the first to tell...

[engagingcities]

[txopengov-blog]

A look at Philly's open gov efforts - and the efforts of a new local website dedicated to tracking the city's open gov efforts

-Michael

engagingcities:

Technically Philly, a Philadelphia-based website devoted to dissecting everything news-worthy in the local technology community, has embarked on a new venture: Transparencity. This special series is dedicated to in-depth reporting on the open data movement in Philadelphia as...

[robandale-blog-blog]

[txopengov-blog]

Equal rights for citizen journalists go hand in hand with open government and transparency

-Michael

robandale:

the Guardian very kindly published this article of mine