Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking apps and data
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Context:
@timdavies - researching uses of open data,
and exploring open data & linked data uses
in practice. Empowering people to use data to
make a difference.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Defining open data
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Defining open data
Accessible
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Defining open data
Accessible
Technically open
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Defining open data
Accessible
Technically open
Legally open
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Defining open data
Accessible
Technically open
Legally open
Socially open
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Data doesn’t just come from government
Image Credit: Melanie Chernoff http://bit.ly/fDahU6
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
So what about apps...
7 rethinks...
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
avourite
One of my f
tools...
visu alisation
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
avourite
One of my f
tools...
visu alisation
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
avourite
One of my f Data does
n’t even
tools...
visu alisation have to s
tay digital
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers*
avourite
One of my f Data does
n’t even
tools...
visu alisation have to s
tay digital
* Vital for data publishers to remember. But also useful for developers to remember - sometimes you don’t
need to code.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers
re
Involves mo
’
‘development
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #1: Data is not just for developers
re
Involves mo
’
‘development
But more
constraints?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #2: Data does more than make apps
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #2: Data does more than make apps
Improves
bids, proposals
& projects
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #2: Data does more than make apps
*And not everything makes good screen shots
Improves
bids, proposals
& projects
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #2: Data does more than make apps
*And not everything makes good screen shots
Improves
Impacts markets
bids, proposals
and procurement
& projects
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #2: Data does more than make apps
*And not everything makes good screen shots
Improves Removes
Impacts markets
bids, proposals information
and procurement
& projects asymmetry
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #2: Data does more than make apps
*And not everything makes good screen shots
Improves Removes
Impacts markets
bids, proposals information
and procurement
& projects asymmetry
*One for the data providers again - but perhaps it also shows some other areas for ‘appifyication’.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
What is an app?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
What is an app?
...bringing together processes, data and information
intended to facilitate some specific set of tasks...
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #3: Apps are not just online
Apps can be physical.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #4: Apps are not just about utility
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #4: Apps are not just about utility
Asborometer
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #4: Apps are not just about utility
Asborometer Awesometer
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #4: Apps are not just about utility
Asborometer Awesometer
Apps as “digital pamphleteering”
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
80% of the project
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
80% of the project
20% of the time
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
80% of the project 20% of the project
20% of the time
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
80% of the project 20% of the project
20% of the time 80% of the time
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
80% of the project 20% of the project
20% of the time 80% of the time
Accessibility
Accuracy
Sustainability
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
80% of the project 20% of the project
20% of the time 80% of the time
Accessibility
Accuracy
Sustainability
Accepting the
challenge?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #5: Hacks ‘route around’ problems;
some problems need solving.
80% of the project 20% of the project
20% of the time 80% of the time
Accessibility
Accuracy
Sustainability
Accepting the Re-negotiating
challenge? expectations?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
The classic view of Freecycle: “too many
emails”.
So solve it with an app? Collect lots of
structured meta-data, match people up, make
it all push button...
But is that the real solution?
What social elements does it remove?
Couldn’t we just educate people to use
filters?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
Not your profile? Switch users. The classic view of Freecycle: “too many
emails”.
Wanted/Offered
Describe your item... So solve it with an app? Collect lots of
structured meta-data, match people up, make
it all push button...
But is that the real solution?
Pick expiry date
Post it What social elements does it remove?
Couldn’t we just educate people to use
filters?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
Offered - some cool item The classic view of Freecycle: “too many
emails”.
So solve it with an app? Collect lots of
structured meta-data, match people up, make
it all push button...
This item matched your But is that the real solution?
keyword search for 'cool'
I want it No thanks What social elements does it remove?
Couldn’t we just educate people to use
filters?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
The classic view of Freecycle: “too many
People who want this item
emails”.
Give it to this person
1.2 miles away So solve it with an app? Collect lots of
structured meta-data, match people up, make
Give it to this person it all push button...
2.4 miles away
But is that the real solution?
Give it to this person
location unknown What social elements does it remove?
Couldn’t we just educate people to use
filters?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
Surprisingly high bandwidth
The classic view of Freecycle: “too many
emails”.
So solve it with an app? Collect lots of
... structured meta-data, match people up, make
it all push button...
But is that the real solution?
What social elements does it remove?
Couldn’t we just educate people to use
filters?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
The classic view of Freecycle: “too many
How to set up an e-mail filter emails”.
So solve it with an app? Collect lots of
structured meta-data, match people up, make
it all push button...
But is that the real solution?
What social elements does it remove?
Couldn’t we just educate people to use
filters?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
The classic view of Freecycle: “too many
How to set up an e-mail filter emails”.
So solve it with an app? Collect lots of
structured meta-data, match people up, make
it all push button...
But is that the real solution?
What social elements does it remove?
Couldn’t we just educate people to use
filters?
It’s not just a data problem. And data isn’t always the answer.
Consider about the organic social elements of the systems you are exploring.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
1. Build something you will find useful
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
1. Build something you ociallfindseful
s will y u useful
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
1. Build something you ociallfindseful
s will y u useful
2. Solve your problem with data
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #6: Understand how it’s broken before
you try to fix it
1. Build something you ociallfindseful
s will y u useful
informatio
networks, n,
2. Solve your problem with data skills &
data
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #7: It helps to think of working with data
like cooking.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #7: It helps to think of working with data
like cooking.
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #7: It helps to think of working with data
like cooking.
What are you cooking up?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #7: It helps to think of working with data
like cooking.
What are you cooking up?
Hor
d'oeuvres
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #7: It helps to think of working with data
like cooking.
What are you cooking up?
Hor Experimenting
d'oeuvres in the kitchen
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #7: It helps to think of working with data
like cooking.
What are you cooking up?
Hor Experimenting Convenience
d'oeuvres in the kitchen food
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
Rethinking #7: It helps to think of working with data
like cooking.
What are you cooking up?
Hor Experimenting Convenience Gourmet
d'oeuvres in the kitchen food banquet
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data App
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data App
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data App Impact
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data App Impact
Impact
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data App Impact
Impact
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
How will you put data to work?
Data App Impact
Impact ?
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011
Local by Social - South West Edition
Apps for Communities
More?
Research blog: http://www.practicalparticipation.co.uk/odi/
General blog: http://www.timdavies.org.uk
Twitter: @timdavies
Practical Participation - tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk | @timdavies | January 2011