So what do you think the Open Data User Group should be working on? I am sure they would be very keen to get your input. They are focusing on location and the PAF following consultation with a broad network.
But maybe this is not working as well as it should? On Feb 4, 2013 7:31 PM, "Stefan Magdalinski" <[email protected]> wrote: > > I think, to all practical purposes, that we did eventually win this > particular fight. > > Stef > > On 4 Feb 2013, at 16:15, Matt Robinson <[email protected]> wrote: > > Just to play devil's advocate here, what's wrong with the free Ordnance > Survey API (other than its inscrutable JSON responses)? I can imagine that > it will be held up defensively by any ministers contacted by this campaign. > > http://data.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/doc/postcodeunit/SO164GU > > Is it that it's: > > - too incomplete (it doesn't resolve to a street name, just lat/long, > country, district and ward), > - not authoritative (as in, Royal Mail is the original source of post > codes), > - not downloadable, > - or that the Open Government License it's released under is > insufficiently open? > - Something else? > > I used it commercially and non-commercially to provide lat/long lookup for > postcodes. It's been pretty good. > > Secondly, "The Royal Mail can’t be allowed to exploit this information for > commercial gain" is pretty contentious (I'm not sure that's intentional). I > think it would be better to argue that Royal Mail shouldn't be able to > withhold this data. After all why shouldn't Royal Mail build profitable (or > at least self-sustaining) services on top of open data? We'll certainly be > trying to! > > -- > Matt Robinson > https://lazycat.org/ > > On 4 Feb 2013, at 13:22, Owen Blacker <[email protected]> wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Javier Ruiz <[email protected]> > Date: 4 February 2013 13:06 > Subject: [Okfn-en] Help open up the postcode dataset > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > […] > > Data about UK addresses is still locked down, unavailable to the general > public and only accessible with an expensive and complex annual license > from the Royal Mail. Innovators are being discouraged from putting this > core reference data to creative use. British businesses and public services > have to cope with the unnecessary burden of applying and paying for access > to location data. > > > The Open Data Users Group, a governmental advisory group, has just released > a report > <http://data.gov.uk/blog/odug-progress-on-a-national-address-dataset>calling > for a public and open National Address Dataset to replace the restrictive > database that we have now. > […] > Location data is a critical national asset. The Royal Mail can’t be > allowed to exploit this information for commercial gain. Instead, the > government should make this data freely available as part of our national > public infrastructure. > > Ministers will try to hide behind the argument that these issues only > concern a minority of technical experts. This just isn’t true. We need your > help to show them that British citizens are well aware of the crucial > importance of this data and are ready to be vocal about it. > > > _______________________________________________ > developers-public mailing list > [email protected] > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public > > Unsubscribe: > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/options/developers-public/stefan%40whitelabel.org > > > -- > /* > Stefan Magdalinski > +62 811 9591262 > smagdali (IM/twitter/flickr/dopplr/skype/etc) > */ > > > _______________________________________________ > developers-public mailing list > [email protected] > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public > > Unsubscribe: > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/options/developers-public/javier%40openrightsgroup.org >
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