It’s probably best I introduce myself as this is my first blog post here – I’m Paul Robinson of Vagueware and Fly The Coop, and I am also the geek working with Julian Tait at Future Everything to bring Open Data to the Manchester community.
I am also the GloNet Champion for Vancouver, and as I write this I have touched down at YVR (Vancouver) and settled in to my temporary home a few blocks from W2 where our workshop will happen tomorrow in preparation for GloNet on Thursday. My colleagues in Sendai and Istanbul have already checked in, and so I thought I’d just give a very quick update from Vancouver.
As you’re aware by now, we’re exploring serendipity in cities this week and here in Vancouver – a city that has truly embraced open data like no other we know – I am particularly interested in exploring how a commitment to openness and adoption of technology affects the fabric of the city. I want to know what opportunities it creates for serendipity, and if the city has changed at all for the residents since they made it policy to commit to open data and standards.
We are expecting an open data renaissance in the UK as soon as a government is formed – all the main parties are committed to it – but there are many questions about how this might re-enforce existing “tribes” and cultural issues relating to those who can afford access to technology. If cliques are enforced and made more impenetrable through openness, then we end up in the strange situation of openness making a city worse to live in for significant numbers of the population. I hope whilst here in Vancouver to try and get a glimpse into these issues, especially as it has both some of the poorest and most affluent neighbourhoods in the whole of Canada.
It might seem a long way to travel for such a discussion, but the physical interaction versus virtual is something I sense we are all keen to explore: whilst the participants in Manchester on the 13th will be able to interact with us via “talking boxes”, I will be here trying to leverage my physical presence for the benefit of Manchester as well. It will be interesting to see how the chance encounters we each experience will differ.
I can’t deny I’m not sure what to expect in this workshop, but that’s because we’re going into the unknown and whenever you plan to do that it always feels odd. Serendipity, indeed.
I will, of course, be keeping you updated.
HI Paul
I think there’s some interesting cross-over here with the aspects of access you’re talking about – particularly in terms of who benefits from datasets and how they are framed to define their use, as well as the meanings they will create.