Wonder what the Open States team has been working on since we finished our initial goal of providing information for all 50 states back in March? As promised, we've been focusing on a new OpenStates.org and expanding our API to support full text search and we're finally ready to show you the results.
If you head over to OpenStates.org now you'll see that we've released a beta version of our site, currently available for 20 states. The remaining states are on their way later this year, but we wanted to make sure we took our time and did things right. As you explore the site you'll see all of the information we've been making available via our API. You'll also notice some enhancements made in the last few months like full-text search and enhanced support for legislator photos and contact addresses.
Continue readingTo the cloud!
It's time that Sunlight Labs got its act together and joined the 21st century. Today we are proud to announce that we are partnering with cloud hosting provider Angelfire to move all of our sites to the cloud.
Of course, cloud computing offers concrete, well-defined benefits like agility, focus and flexibility. And cloud solutions can achieve things that traditional servers never could, like allowing users to leave their desks. Developers love the cloud, too: by now most are familiar with how simple it is to deploy to the cloud; many also appreciate how cloud datastores create more demand for developers. Plus, cloud solutions offer enhanced security both through obscurity, and technical monoculture.
This is a bold, forward looking move that we feel will help us accomplish our goals of transparency long into the future.
Continue readingIntroducing MFNCMS
As you know, Sunlight Labs has never been a fan of the Content Management System-- we think that overall, they're too clunky and get in the way of an organization's real objective. Putting content online. We started asking ourselves-- is there an easier way? Could we figure out a more agile, nimble way to do things.
Continue readingOur next big goal, The Fifty State Project
While no single developer has the time to volunteer writing a custom scraper for each state, the goal of having data for all fifty states is entirely attainable if we come together and share the workload. This is where you come in. We need your help databasing state legislation.
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