[kictanet] Fwd: Open Data - Where does it sit?

[Rad!]

I still think that we are still seeing the trees and not the forest.

In the larger scheme of things the fact that the data is not hosted here and
running on kenyan infrastructure and systems *RIGHT NOW* is not an issue.
True, at some point it would be nice if it did, but I don't think in the
light of developments this is an urgently pressing requirement.

The important thing is that the data is being availed.

To spur innovation and creativity I would encourage the ICT board to put in
place some sort of competition to encourage creative and innovative use of
the data itself. This is what we need *right now*. It doesn't require
infrastructure of capital investment or anything along those lines. It just
requires innovation, focus and a laptop. Is within the reach of literally
millions of Kenyans and not a few dozen.

To borrow from the Bible before attending to logs in eyes, let us deal with
specks.

I would suggest some sort of competition with prizes that encourage
developers to come up with innovative ways to use the OpenData content -
mashups, visualization, models, maps etc in various sectors

   - Health
   - Government
   - Education
   - Finance
   - etc

Let developers run wild with ideas and in a couple of months award the best
and add an Applications section to the OpenData website where shortlisted
applications and eventual winners can have their apps hosted.

This is what Kenya needs right now.

Breaking our necks to host the data locally right now in the larger scheme
of things is hardly a priority.

Suppose hypothetically speaking we did this by next week. So what? What is
the point of hosting it locally and nothing is done with the data? To prove
a point?

Good people, let us solve immediate priorities first.

On Wed, Jul 13, 2011 at 10:47 PM, aki <aki275 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Paul, Thank you for the response.
>
> Kindly find some comments inline for some further discussion. :-)
>
> On Wed, Jul 13, 2011 at 8:12 PM, Paul Kukubo <pkukubo at ict.go.ke> wrote:
>
>> I would like to shift the discussion if I may to what people can do
>> with the data? What data is missing? how citizens are using it. What
>> possible value additions we can have?
>>
>
> I hope you've added my request for the debt datasets.
>
>
>
>
>
>>
>> Socrata.com is an online hosted service that enables data to be
>> visualized to enable graphs and charts and data comparisons with ease.
>> This visualization is what gives meaning to the data in a way that the
>> common citizens can view it. The benefits of doing this quickly for
>> launch and citizen access far outweigh the cost of waiting for the
>> time it would have taken for us to develop a similar online
>> application locally. One the same website we have published the same
>> lists of data in their original formats.
>>
>
>
>>
>> Indeed we have spoken to many software developers who have suggested
>> that they can replicate this The data is there for anyone to replicate
>> it on any website. What we have indicated to software developers is to
>> take the plunge into imagining solutions that are based on have access
>> to that data.  This is where the greatest value is.
>>
>> The issue of local hosting has our attention and we will resolve it,
>> not just with a local data centre, that is not the limitation, but the
>> replication of a similar online tool to visualize the data.
>>
>> This campaign has to be about the benefits of open data. Knowledge,
>> empowerment, commerce entrepreneurship, citizen participation. By
>> crusading for, lobbying and obtaining data that was previously only in
>> thick books, PS Dr Ndemo has broken ground for us. By launching this
>> HE President Kibaki has demonstrated Kenya's commitment to citizen
>> access.
>>
>
>
>
>>
>> Once the entrepreneurs developers have a system that can replicate or
>> even improve or add value to Socrata, or even improve on Socrata and
>> Google's public data tools, the hosting decisions will be easy. As an
>> implementing agency, we are committed to working with all to make this
>> happen. There is much to be done.
>>
>
> This is the whole problem right here with a wrong approach by developing
> countries governments. Please stop burying your heads in the sand.. How can
> Kenyan developers or companies compare developments level to match that of
> Socrata ( Most likely VC funded, development investments probably running
> into millions of dollars  )  or Google ( a multi-million dollar
> global industry leader on its own ). How are you expecting kenyan
> developers/companies to put literally millions of shillings into a system
> over night that there is no base foundation to build upon? The VC system
> works in developed countries, it will not work here in the technology
> sector, that is why there is not much happening in the software development
> sectors.  It is imperative for the Govt to be the critical catalyst in early
> stages of such projects and also provide the financial rewards for
> creativity. When is the Govt going to announce a developer challenge for the
> creation and hosting of the replacement of the Socrata system with our own
> definitions of requirements and rollout for local companies to participate
> in the creation of the ultimate core system?
>
> Let this be a beginning of what the future of Kenya holds for local
> development, which will compliment the Open Data Initiative.
>
>
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