[euopendata] eurostat hackday

Mon Jan 31 14:46:26 UTC 2011

Johnny

thanks for reply and additional info. Since you seem to be the center of the
OKFn  administrative hub, please do email me offlist info you may have on
each of the events (who organissed the local initiative, who attended, and
which projects may have been  accidentally' covering for the participation
costs) so that I  can compile it it a factual report and submit the summary
to the list, as per your suggestion.

*re. OKFn *

Just ny means of  'semantic precision', as you may recall,  last summer,
upon invitation of a OKFn board member and  other community participants, I
was invited to contribute organisational guidance to OKFn precisely to help
optimise 'self organised'  distributed operations.
 http://wiki.okfn.org/wg/coord?action=recall&rev=17
This happens to be  one of my professional specialisations and research
interests, and I have spent several hours of discussion and analysis with
various team members, who are also expressing frustration about unjustified
inefficiencies, the lack of information and shared decision making
processes,

As of todate, OKFn contributors still appear to have limited/no knowledge of
what others in the network are doing, and the is no real reason for this
lack of knowledge/awareness, since we are all fully connected This is how
systemic flaws creep in, in fact this is how 'dysfunctionality by design' is
ensured.

In an email (I keep a correspondence for  research and documentation
purposes) you  suggested that organisational aspects discussions  should
take place on the OKFn coord list. but it does not look like the respective
leaders of OKFn project partners are on that list/ So obviously that would
not work

*re. carbon footprint*
I am part of the Transition Network, working actively at the development of
resources to help communities ensure that sustainability, as well as
democracy, transparency, true self organisation. Let me know how can I help.

Look forward to uptodate data re the EUROSTAT Hackday at your convenience

Best

PDM

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 1:43 PM, Jonathan Gray <jonathan.gray at okfn.org>wrote:

> I'm just catching up on this thread now, apologies for the delay. I
> would suggest, in the interest of keeping this list as a low-traffic
> list for updates, announcements and legal/policy/technical discussion
> of general interest, that if people would like to continue this thread
> then we can:
>
>  * continue discussion about logistical details of the Eurostat
> Hackday event in December off-list (please email me as a first point
> of reference, and we can take it from there)
>  * report back here with a summary of findings
>
> Like Ton, as a co-founder of this list I'm very keen to make sure that
> people don't unsubscribe or stop reading as traffic is too high, or
> not relevant to them!
>
> I am happy to act as a go-between for anyone who wants any further
> information, so if anyone wants to continue this discussion please
> email me at my personal address (jonathan.gray at okfn.org) and I can
> help introduce them to relevant people to find further information.
>
> Responses on specific points from my end are included below!
>
> All the best,
>
> Jonathan
>
> ##
>
> As a bit of background, the Eurostat Hackday was intended to be a
> small informal event, which grew to include more people in different
> locations. The initial idea was to gather a smal group of people
> (interested friends and colleagues) and have a look at what
> interesting and useful things we could make using the Eurostat data.
> We then thought 'why not open this up to the public?' and invited
> others to join in. Each event was organised by someone at that
> location (hence it was relatively decentralised). E.g. the Liverpool
> event was hosted by the folks at Scraperwiki, the Athens event was
> coordinated by some folks who are doing open government data related
> stuff with the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit. And so on.
>
> As such there was no central decision-making process about who was
> supported to travel where. As far as I know this was the prerogative
> of respective organisations/projects who were involved to determine on
> a case by case basis, and certainly not something that any one
> organisation or individual would be able to dictate or coordinate
> (perhaps next time we can try). I know that there were a few people
> gathered in a few other locations, who participated virtually, e.g.
> from the Netherlands, and elsewhere.
>
> The initial call for participation was put out on late November on this
> list:
>
>  http://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/euopendata/2010-November/000309.html
>
> In terms of what we achieved, I've been very busy, but I will
> hopefully send out a comprehensive round-up in the next few weeks
> (partly as feedback for all who attended). We urged all involved to
> send links/notes on outputs to eurostat at okfn.org, but not much has
> come in at this address (I expect due to the Christmas rush as this
> was on a weekend, and the following week was the last week before the
> holidays). I own this action item and I apologise for the delay.
> Incidentally I promised the very nice people at Eurostat who helped
> provide support and expertise (via phone and email) that I'd send them
> a report on this soon. So far from our end, you can see:
>
>  http://blog.okfn.org/2010/12/06/eurostat-hackday-16th-december-2010/
>  http://eurostat.dev.okfn.org/
>
> There are a few other ongoing (and exciting!) things related to energy
> data that came out of the Hackday that will be released later this
> week. For these you'll be pleased to know that all follow up work has
> been conducted virtually, from a variety of different locations.
>
> As an aside: I am personally a big fan of reducing unnecessary travel.
> I don't particularly like travelling myself, and try to use the
> coach/train instead of flying wherever possible. If anyone has any
> concrete ideas or specific links about how the OKF can strive to
> reduce its carbon footprint as an organisation, I'd love to pass this
> on (again: please email me directly). I'd be particularly interested
> in hearing about best practices and experiences from other
> organisations who have attempted this kind of thing. E.g. I wonder if
> people might even be interested in proposing guidelines for reducing
> CO2 impact for hackdays and other events?
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 1:29 PM, Paola Di Maio <paola.dimaio at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks Michael
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>
> >> > There was virtually no advertising, the event just sprung out of the
> >> > blue,
> >> > with one announcement only the day before,  and very few local people
> >> > knew
> >> > about it (outside the circle of our linkedata community locally which
> >> > Keith
> >> > is co=leading).
> >>
> >> I would question this statement. IIRC the OKF did a good job in
> >> advertising
> >> it (well, obviously not a year in advance, but enough time allow people
> to
> >> plan ahead). I, for example, pointed it out (and I was definitely not
> one
> >> of
> >> the first people to do so) on 8 Dec [1].
> >>
> >
> > I meant here in Edinburgh, at local level, the hackday info was
> circulating
> > to the public (so outside the project partneers and their
> > immediate circle) only one or two  days before the event, as far as I
> know
> > (and I follow most  of them)
> >
> > http://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/ok-scotland/2010-December/subject.html
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>
> >> > After I collect all the data (provided I get it) I ll compile a fact
> >> > sheet
> >> > and circulate it for further inputs on how to mesh it
> >>
> >> Fact sheet is good. Open *data* is better.
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >>      Michael
> >>
> >> [1] https://twitter.com/#!/mhausenblas/status/12460414994481152
> >>
> >> --
> >> Dr. Michael Hausenblas, Research Fellow
> >> LiDRC - Linked Data Research Centre
> >> DERI - Digital Enterprise Research Institute
> >> NUIG - National University of Ireland, Galway
> >> Ireland, Europe
> >> Tel. +353 91 495730
> >> http://linkeddata.deri.ie/
> >> http://sw-app.org/about.html
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> > From: Paola Di Maio <paola.dimaio at gmail.com>
> >> > Reply-To: <paoladimaio10 at googlemail.com>
> >> > Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 11:59:08 +0000
> >> > To: Michael Hausenblas <michael.hausenblas at deri.org>
> >> > Cc: euopendata <euopendata at lists.okfn.org>
> >> > Subject: Re: [euopendata] eurostat hackday
> >> >
> >> > Michael
> >> >
> >> > thanks for your detailed reply and for sharing the rationale,
> >> >
> >> > So are the outcomes of the hackday also tied in /related with your
> LATC
> >> > deliverables?
> >> > What is LATC relationship to OKFn, if any?
> >> > (just wondering).
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > I'd like to know if in other cities as well if  the participants
> >> > attendance
> >> > is somehow orchestrated around
> >> > EU funded projects,
> >> >
> >> > Obviously its good to leverage synergy,
> >> > but I dont think I would call that bottom up self organisatiom stricly
> >> > speaking :-)
> >> >
> >> > There was virtually no advertising, the event just sprung out of the
> >> > blue,
> >> > with one announcement only the day before,  and very few local people
> >> > knew
> >> > about it (outside the circle of our linkedata community locally which
> >> > Keith
> >> > is co=leading).
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > The very bottom line question is: could the same  Eurostathackday
> >> > outputs
> >> > have been generated with the people working remotely, via IRC?
> >> >
> >> > re.mashup
> >> > Yes, generally speaking we should increase our awareness of the cost
> to
> >> > the
> >> > community (vs the benefits) of these exercises, so that we can
> >> > strive to improve the collaboration system among EU research partner
> >> > without
> >> > taking a toll both in terms of costs to the public, as well as
> >> > environmental
> >> > costs
> >> > (a bit of common sense now and then shouldnt hurt scientific endeavors
> >> > :-)
> >> >
> >> > After I collect all the data (provided I get it) I ll compile a fact
> >> > sheet
> >> > and circulate it for further inputs on how to mesh it
> >> >
> >> > Thanks a lot
> >> >
> >> > PDM
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 8:33 AM, Michael Hausenblas <
> >> > michael.hausenblas at deri.org> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> Paola,
> >> >>
> >> >> I can only speak for LATC (in my role as LATC co-ordinator). Yes, I
> >> >> think,
> >> >> in order to be credible, we need to walk our talk; heck, we're trying
> >> >> to
> >> >> convince governments that transparency is good for them, so we need
> to
> >> >> eat
> >> >> our own dog food, right?
> >> >>
> >> >>> a) what have been the outcomes/benefits
> >> >>
> >> >> AFAIK there will be a report on this. Please be patient.
> >> >>
> >> >>> b) how money did it cost EU taxpayers to fly around people to attend
> >> >>> the
> >> >>> respective sessions, in the case these were not participating in
> their
> >> >> local
> >> >> hometown/region
> >> >>> c) a breakdown of which  EU projects covered for the travel costs
> >> >>
> >> >> As for LATC, the participation in the Eurostat hackday was sort of a
> >> >> (welcome) and synergetic side-effect. In fact, what we really had was
> a
> >> >> joint LATC WP1/WP2 technical meeting. The LATC's WP1 assembles and
> >> >> delivers
> >> >> the 24/7 Interlinking Platform, and in WP2 DERI and Talis take care
> of
> >> >> (amongst other things) to RDFise and interlink the Eurostat dataset.
> G
> >> >>
> >> >> Given that Keith Alexander (Talis) is located close to Edinburgh and
> >> >> had to
> >> >> meet with Richard Cyganiak and Aftab Iqbal (both DERI), I found it
> >> >> sensible
> >> >> to propose to meet there - this is the cheapest and closest location
> >> >> from
> >> >> Galway POV - in order to leverage the communication and sharing with
> >> >> others
> >> >> (incl. PlanetData liaison partner Andreas Harth). As you can see, we
> >> >> tried
> >> >> everything to cut down costs as much as possible and maximise outcome
> >> >> in
> >> >> the
> >> >> realm of things we're contractually obliged to deliver in LATC.
> >> >>
> >> >>> d) some kind of carbon footprint for the day
> >> >>
> >> >> A very good idea! How about you go ahead and provide a mashup of
> this?
> >> >> I'd
> >> >> be interested in this showcase of open data.
> >> >>
> >> >> Cheers,
> >> >>      Michael
> >> >>
> >> >> --
> >> >> Dr. Michael Hausenblas, Research Fellow
> >> >> LiDRC - Linked Data Research Centre
> >> >> DERI - Digital Enterprise Research Institute
> >> >> NUIG - National University of Ireland, Galway
> >> >> Ireland, Europe
> >> >> Tel. +353 91 495730
> >> >> http://linkeddata.deri.ie/
> >> >> http://sw-app.org/about.html
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>> From: Paola Di Maio <paola.dimaio at gmail.com>
> >> >>> Reply-To: <paoladimaio10 at googlemail.com>
> >> >>> Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:59:40 +0000
> >> >>> To: euopendata <euopendata at lists.okfn.org>
> >> >>> Subject: [euopendata] eurostat hackday
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Greetings
> >> >>>
> >> >>> I am putting together a summary of cost/benefits activities  for the
> >> >>> EUROSTAT hackday
> >> >>> including the 'environmental cost' of flying people around
> >> >>>
> >> >>> http://eurostat.okfn.org/
> >> >>>
> >> >>> I'd like to know
> >> >>>
> >> >>> a) what have been the outcomes/benefits
> >> >>> b) how money did it cost EU taxpayers to fly around people to attend
> >> >>> the
> >> >>> respective sessions, in the
> >> >>> case these were not participating in their local hometown/region
> >> >>> c) a breakdown of which  EU projects covered for the travel costs
> >> >>> d) some kind of carbon footprint for the day
> >> >>>
> >> >>>
> >> >>> Does anyone have this information on this list? If not, I ll ask the
> >> >>> EU
> >> >>> Commission for the
> >> >>> breakdown
> >> >>>
> >> >>> cheers
> >> >>>
> >> >>> PDM
> >> >>> _______________________________________________
> >> >>> euopendata mailing list
> >> >>> euopendata at lists.okfn.org
> >> >>> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/euopendata
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > euopendata mailing list
> > euopendata at lists.okfn.org
> > http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/euopendata
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Jonathan Gray
>
> Community Coordinator
> The Open Knowledge Foundation
> http://blog.okfn.org
>
> http://twitter.com/jwyg
> http://identi.ca/jwyg
>
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