[@OKau] Move from the mailing list to the new OK Forum?

Fri Jun 5 01:37:08 UTC 2015

On Fri, Jun 5, 2015 at 8:40 AM, Rosie Williams <budgetaus at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> If all the OKAu events are aimed at experts and all the blog posts that
> come out are suited only to specialist audiences, then how does the general
> public engage with open data/open knowledge in Australia?
>

Probably with tools and platforms built by people like us, and promoted
through public channels. I'm generally interested in "outreach" that
involves bringing new people into the open data community and giving them
the tools and knowledge to do useful things. To get real engagement with
"the public" around particular tools and platforms is of course a lot of
work - but something I know some people (not me) find incredibly rewarding.

> I'm not saying it is wrong to have specialist forums, events and websites
> specific to an expert audience or that everyone needs to do 'outreach'. I'm
> not suggesting either that we can't learn from other countries and I guess
> that is what OKAU is, an implementation of an initiative that began in the
> UK. I'm just trying to clarify what the motives and objectives of OKAU are,
> given the lack of general public engagement that I see.
>

Speaking for myself, I see the primary purpose of OKAU as building an open
data community. That is, we've done our jobs if there are lots of people
with skills, knowledge and motivation to produce and use open data, and
they're working together and efficiently sharing information.

(Someone will probably point out that it's broader than just open *data*,
of course...)

Steve
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