Slides which supported the 30 minute presentation by Steven De Costa at API Days Sydney on 11 February 2015. The subject covered open data as a platform and its use cases. It also covered a discussion on economic goods as they related to public information goods. Nine discussion points are added at the end.

1. steven.decosta@linkdigital.com.au
www.linkdigital.com.au
twitter.com/starl3n

2. 2Link designs and develops web sites.

3. 3Link designs and develops web sites.

4. 4Link designs and develops web sites.

5. OPEN DATA

6. Good (economic) 6
In economics, a good is a material that satisfies
human wants[1] and provides utility, for example, to a consumer
making a purchase. A common distinction is made between
'goods' that are tangible property (also called goods) and services,
which are non-physical.[2] Commodities may be used as
a synonym for economic goods but often refer to marketable raw
materials and primary products.[3]
Although in economic theory all goods are considered tangible, in
reality certain classes of goods, such as information, only
take intangible forms. For example, among other goods
an apple is a tangible object, while news belongs to an intangible
class of goods and can be perceived only by means of an
instrument such as print, broadcast or computer.

26. Types of goods 26

27. Who is talking about open data? 27
Political
Community
Technical
Bureaucratic

28. Why are they talking? 28
Unlocking economic value
Transparency
Efficiency

29. What is open data? 29
Schema
Data
APPS
API

30. What is not open data? 30
.doc
.pdf
.xls
.jpg
Software
Hardware
Software
Hardware
APPS
_X_ _?_ _X_ _?_ _X_ _?_ _X_ _?_

31. Quality of open data 31
Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the
Web and Linked Data initiator,
suggested a 5 star deployment
scheme for Open Data.
See more: http://5stardata.info/

32. Who is talking about open data? 32
Political
Community
Technical
Bureaucratic

33. Who is talking about open data? 33
Political
Community
Technical
Bureaucratic
=
=
Use cases
Platform

34. Origins of open data 34
A Brief History of Open Data
By Simon Chignard
http://www.paristechreview.com/2013/03/29/brief-
history-open-data/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/

35. Origins of open data 35
The term open data appeared for the first time in 1995, in a
document from an American scientific agency.
It dealt about the disclosure of geophysical and
environmental data. To quote the authors of the report:
“Our atmosphere, oceans and biosphere form an
integrated whole that transcends borders.”
They promote a complete and open exchange of scientific
information between different countries, a prerequisite for
the analysis and understanding of these global phenomena.

36. Origins of open data 36
The idea of common good applied to knowledge had
already been theorized, well before the invention of the
Internet. Robert King Merton, as early as 1942, explained
the importance that the results of research should be
freely accessible to all.
Each researcher must contribute to the “common pot”
and give up intellectual property rights to allow
knowledge to move forward.

37. Origins of open data 37
Information technologies have also given a new breath to
this philosophy of commons. In her research, the 2009
Nobel Prize of Economics Elinor Orstrom showed the
specificity of information commons. They are very similar
to public goods, because their use by one person does not
impede their use by others.
However, these are public goods of a new kind: not only
their use doesn’t deplete the common stock, but it
enriches it.
*compare this to a park or a public swimming pool

38. Origins of open data 38
Peer review assumes some level of openness is provided.
But it is the encounter between this scientific idea and the
ideals of free software and open source that shaped open
data as we know it today.

39. Origins of open data 39
In December 2007, thinkers and activists of the Internet
held a meeting north of San Francisco. Their aim was to
define the concept of open public data and have it
adopted by the US presidential candidates.
Among them were:
Tim O’Reilly (open source, Web 2.0)
Lawrence Lessig (creative commons)
Together, they created the principles that allow us today to
define and evaluate open public data

40. Origins of open data 40
The basic idea is that public data are a common property,
in the same way as scientific ideas.
The means to achieve this idea concerned primarily the
sharing and use of this common good.
They are directly inspired by the approach and practice of
open source, built on three concepts: openness,
participation and collaboration.

41. Origins of open data 41
2009 - Yes We Can!
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparen
cyandOpenGovernment
My Administration is committed to creating an
unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will
work together to ensure the public trust and establish a
system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy
and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

42. Origins of open data 42
Yes we can
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparen
cyandOpenGovernment
My Administration is committed to creating an
unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will
work together to ensure the public trust and establish a
system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy
and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

43. Origins of open data 43
Yes we can
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparen
cyandOpenGovernment
My Administration is committed to creating an
unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will
work together to ensure the public trust and establish a
system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy
and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

44. Origins of open data 44
Yes we can
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparen
cyandOpenGovernment
My Administration is committed to creating an
unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will
work together to ensure the public trust and establish a
system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy
and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

45. Origins of open data 45
Yes we can
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparen
cyandOpenGovernment
My Administration is committed to creating an
unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will
work together to ensure the public trust and establish a
system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy
and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

46. Origins of open data 46
Yes we can
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparen
cyandOpenGovernment
My Administration is committed to creating an
unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will
work together to ensure the public trust and establish a
system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy
and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

47. Origins of open data 47
Yes we can
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Transparen
cyandOpenGovernment
My Administration is committed to creating an
unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will
work together to ensure the public trust and establish a
system of transparency, public participation, and
collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy
and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.

48. Diminishing economies of
scale required for
effective collaboration
1

49. Digital anthropology
Horrible histories
Are we stupid?
2

50. Big Data
Unexpected insights
3

51. Sensors
Event triggers
Data points
4

52. Public amenities
Booking systems
Pop up markets
5

53. Economic value chain
Supply and Demand
6

54. Analysis indicates that more vigorous
open data policies could add many
billions per annum to the Australian
economy.
7

55. Slip Slop Slap and
Don't Drink and Drive
8

56. Slip Slop Slap and
Don't Drink and Drive
Anti vax
Kim Kardashian's ....
8

57. Government Digital
Service UK
Digital Transformation
Office AU
9

58. steven.decosta@linkdigital.com.au
www.linkdigital.com.au
twitter.com/starl3n

59. Why are they talking? 59
When to release data in a private
company?
Transaction costs
Economies of scale
Who is your competitor?
(technology)