Sessions at Open Source Bridge 2011 about Intellectual Property

Thursday 23rd June 2011

• Similar, But Not The Same: Designing Projects Around Three Open Datasets

  by Matt Blair

  Over the past year, I've been working on three projects that make open datasets available to the public:

  • "PDX Trees":http://pdxtrees.org
  • "Public Art PDX":http://publicartpdx.com/
  • "Portland Poetry Posts":http://poetrybox.info/

  Although the public-facing parts of these projects appear similar on the surface -- apps or websites with locations on a map -- the design and development process has been quite different for each.

  In this talk, I'll explore the opportunities and challenges I encountered in each, covering factors like:

  • Data source -- Who gathered it, when and why?
  • Data content -- What's in it?
  • Metadata definition and stability -- Is it clearly structured? Does it follow standards? Is the structure or format subject to change?
  • Data accuracy and completeness
  • Data volatility -- How often does the data change?
  • Geographic scope -- Does it cover a neighborhood? A city? A metro region? A state?
  • Geographic density -- Is it more or less evenly distributed or are there obvious clusters and empty areas?
  • Intellectual Property -- Is the data itself clearly licensed for re-use? Does it point to other data or media that have copyright restrictions or limitations?

  I'll use this comparison to suggest a re-usable blueprint for analysis and planning of open data projects, including how to match available data to audience interests and expectations, as well as identifying opportunities for community participation.

  • Apps
  • Design
  • Intellectual Property
  • Mapping
  • Open Data

  At 2:30pm to 3:15pm, Thursday 23rd June

  Coverage note