Philadelphia has a new lobbying website that helps make detailed information easier to search, download and reuse. It's a step forward from how this information was previously shared, but there is still room for improvement.
Continue readingThe long view: the future of storing and sharing records
Those in government who manage and preserve public records are charged with great responsibility: what they choose to preserve or destroy can dictate how history remembers the promises and actions of a government.
Continue readingWhy open data and accountability are not the same thing
Open data is a tool, not an end in itself, much as a hammer is not an end in itself. It is just one factor necessary to produce the transparency that allows us to achieve accountability.
Continue readingHow New York City is beating the feds to 21st century transparency
How the New York City Council and an annual conference dedicated to the democracy-saving power of the internet are poised to beat the federal government into the 21st century.
Continue readingHow proactive release of public records could help lower costs
Can releasing information before people ask for it help lower the costs associated with public records? Initial estimates are starting to provide answers.
Continue readingAddressing costs: turning public records into open data
Open data policies need to allocate appropriate funding for transitioning records systems from a paper era to a digital era.
Continue readingIt’s time to improve access to influence data in California
Sometimes, hurdles along the path to transparency can come down to one thing: a lack of funding. That's why we've signed on to a letter asking California to allocate funding that would help improve access to influence data.
Continue readingIn both the public and private sector, power is the power to hide
Power may be the power to influence others in public debate. But we also see that power being used to pressure us into allowing the powerful to remain secret — even as the rest of us become more visible.
Continue readingHyperlinks and hope: Data.gov five years out
Five years into the Obama administration’s experiment with Data.gov marks a good time to ask — is the experiment a success?
Continue readingWhen will Open Legislative Data come to your town?
Apps for when the next bus will come are great, but what about the next law?
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