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

Thu Jul 14 13:10:54 EAT 2011

Methinks we have overdone this thread. I see a set of two groups. One totally annoyed that our data sits in a foreign country(lost opportunity thereof), while another appreciates the potential of unlocking government data - irrespective of where it sits.  I  dont forsee expect consensus arising from online exchanges any time soon. 

Maybe its time for another townhall (face2face) meeting to sort this ou?.  Perhaps a session could be squeezed into the upcoming Kenya IGF meeting to take this discussion to its natural conclusion?

walu.

--- On Thu, 7/14/11, Edwin Onchari <eonchari at lynxbits.com> wrote:

From: Edwin Onchari <eonchari at lynxbits.com>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: Open Data - Where does it sit?
To: jwalu at yahoo.com
Cc: "'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions'" <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Thursday, July 14, 2011, 12:04 PM

And one of their own "Ben Franklin" said... How few there are who have
courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them....I
am sure everyone here is making a contribution to a max realization of
potential this has!

Edwin

-----Original Message-----
From: kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke
[mailto:kictanet-bounces+eonchari=lynxbits.com at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On
Behalf Of bitange at jambo.co.ke
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 11:23 AM
To: Edwin
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Fwd: Open Data - Where does it sit?

Americans always say "there is no good deed that goes unpunished".

Ndemo.

> 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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