Comments on: What data should we be releasing?

By: Don Weatherburn

Don Weatherburn — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:16:06 +0000

Btw, the Bureau provides free access to crime data for research and by going onto our website it is possible to identify (a) trends in any kind of crime over any period up to 10 years (b) how individual LGAs rank in terms of the major categories of crime and (c) for most LGAs: a report containing maps showing the spatial distribution of crime at street level. It is also possible to obtain raw data on crimes reported by crime type, time period and location (down to LGA). This information is free.

By: Don Weatherburn

Don Weatherburn — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:13:32 +0000

One of the constraints in releasing crime information is that victims of crime do not like to be identified. We’ve had a number of complaints from people who have become distressed at the level of detail we already provide i.e. street level data)

By: Stephen Collins

Stephen Collins — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:48:59 +0000

Dee, I think you’re imagining spatial data as more sensitive than most of it is. The federal government already makes available a significant amount of spatial data for public use in one form or another. I’m certain national security considerations have been included in the thinking before their release.

Nobody in their right mind countenances the release of military movement information, or sensitive shipping and flight information. But we all know where the non-secret military installations are in Australia, right down to places like Pine Gap. If anyone wanted a relatively detailed look at them, they could just use Google Maps.

There’s any amount of data that rightly shouldn’t be released. Open data advocates rarely suggest those sorts of things – personal and sensitive information – be released. The risk is we don’t release the data that ought to be available if all we consider is the negative risk rather than opportunity cost.

By: dan mackinlay

dan mackinlay — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:41:07 +0000

Dee, I'm sure there are potential national security implication to classes of datasets, but I don't see this sort of data set as being especially fraught. I don't think anyone is talking about having a live, constantly updated dataset of Australian troop deployments. Rather, government has a lot of useful information on their hands tha not of any conceivable military use - say - maps of health infringements (as Fitzroyalty mentions), or toilet locations. And in any case, even popping the odd well known military installation on a map is not usually going to add much to the public knowledge. By all means, let's keep security in mind, but it seems a comparatively minor issue for Australia- seems to me like we should be making the most of that?

By: Dee

Dee — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:19:57 +0000

What about Spatial datasets? How do we handle this kind of data? Because if we think about it, spatial data (such as maps, organisational locations, models, photographs of locations etc) is highly sensitive in nature from a national security perspective. However how do we control and handle them from not falling in the wrong hands?

By: xtfer

xtfer — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:10:46 +0000

I agree, but please not GovDex… how about a forum that is naturally open, inclusive and easy to use?

By: Fitzroyalty

Fitzroyalty — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:23:30 +0000

There should be a uniform natioanl mandatory release of food hygiene inspection information. NSW does this well, WA poorly, Victoria not at all. Death to secrecy and government refusals to release the information we as ratepapers and taxpayers have already paid for. http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/08/10/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%E2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-five/

By: asa letourneau

asa letourneau — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:26:55 +0000

And let’s not forget about the FUN factor. Imagine individual artists, arts orgnaisations, cultural sectors, (anyone with an imagination!) having access to a universe of data that allows them to PLAY in new ways. Great things will truly come from data sharing.

By: Kevin Cox

Kevin Cox — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:38:33 +0000

Here is a great example of what can be done when organisations share data. This is the sort of thing that becomes possible for government organisations across Australia particularly the local area service organisations.

These people are in a very competitive business not known for their cooperation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJAI0KasGgc&feature=channel_page

By: Kevin Cox

Kevin Cox — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:33:17 +0000

It is inevitable that there will be “unsatisfying experiences”. Any system should have builtin mechanisms to report and have ways of acting on those difficulties.