Check out how Data.gov is making news. You'll also discover stories about Open Government and how Data.gov supports its core principles of transparency, participation and collaboration.
E-government funds slashed in newly-introduced budget—Fierce Government IT
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The General Services Administration's electronic government fund will be slashed under the presumptive fiscal 2011 budget, introduced April 11 into the House as H.R. 1473 (.pdf). The House now has three days to approve the legislation before it moves to the Senate for passage.
A small price for transparency—The Roanoke Times
Friday, April 8, 2011
So far in the 2011 budget year, the federal government has spent $22 billion in Virginia. Defense giant Northrop Grumman alone took in $787 million in the commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Education received $153 million. How do we know that? It is public information. The federal government provides spending data online at usaspending.gov, data.gov and other sites. Citizens can find out in tremendous detail how their tax dollars are spent. At least they can now. Those resources are in peril.
Federal websites might be unattended or go dark during furloughs—Federal Computer Week
Thursday, April 7, 2011
With a possible government shutdown looming, many questions arose today about the fate of federal websites. Would agency and departmental websites remain live online, would they be maintained and secured, would they go dark, or some combination of those situations?
Open Letter: Congress Must Protect Transparency Programs in Budget Negotiations—SunLight Foundation via Targeted News Service
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Today we are releasing an open letter to congressional leaders in an effort to save vital transparency programs. In light of quickly evolving circumstances, we prepared the following document and are encouraging organizations and individuals to sign-on. Please add your names and organizations in the comments. Later on we will transmit the final version with the signatories.
Data.gov in crisis: the open data movement is bigger than just one site—The Guardian Blog
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
About two years ago, Data.gov launched as a big step towards government transparency and accountability. A few months later, New York and San Francisco released their own data sites for detailed, city-specific data, and Data.gov.uk launched not too long after. Needless to say, a movement for open government was building momentum, and the popularity of data itself in other sectors continues to rise.
Data.gov is a project for the few - but they really matter, says Tom Steinberg—The Guardian Blog
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Tom Steinberg, the founder of the MySociety charity (which gave you the wonders of theyworkforyou, making Hansard accessible, and publicwhip.org, which shows you how MPs have voted), has weighed in to the debate about the proposed closure in the US of the data.gov site, already beloved of data wonks everywhere.
House restores some e-gov funding in CR—Federal News Radio
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Several of the Obama administration's openness and transparency initiatives may be getting a reprieve. The House Appropriations Committee included $17 million for the E-Government Fund in the latest continuing resolution to fund the government for the rest of fiscal 2011. It still is far below the $35 million the administration requested and below the $20 million the Senate approved, but it will stave off the need to shut down eight sites and one initiative starting in May.
Open Data, Transparency Sites That Helped Gov't Save Billions To Be Shut Down Over $30 Million?—TechDirt
Monday, April 4, 2011
While we've faulted the Obama administration for its many, many failings on the promised transparency front, the one area where they actually had done some good was with their work on the IT side, where the CTO and CIO had created some pretty cool websites sharing important data with the public, and pushing federal agencies to be a lot more transparent about their federal IT spending.
Data 2.0 Coming Next Week as Data.gov Future Uncertain—Programmable Web Blog
Friday, April 1, 2011
Data 2.0 is a conference about information accessibility and how open data can solve problems in business, social and government. Coming next week from San Francisco, the conference will see companies like InfoChimps, Factual and FluidInfo (who all have APIs) coming together to explore the continued opening of data. Yet, the conference is also perfectly timed to discuss the recent news that some U.S. open data initiatives may not survive the month.
Beth Noveck testifies in Canada on the power of Open Government—Gov in the Lab Blog
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Dr. Beth Noveck is a Professor of Law, New York Law School, as well as the former United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer. Her experience, both academic and hands-on, is unique and I am sure you will find her insights as interesting as I do. This initial article is her March 2nd, 2011, testimony to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics House of Commons Canada.
