The government has asked web inventor Tim Berners-Lee to
create a single point of access to public data as its data sitebegins to take shape.
It is hoping this access will lead to new technologies and
services being developed.
Prime minister Gordon Brown asked Berners-Lee to
look at access to government data in June, after Barack Obama's
administration launched an open source data site.
Minister for Digital Britain
Stephen Timms spoke yesterday at an RSA/Intellect Technology
event about how the government wants to provide a framework for
using data in new ways.
He said information is the "essential raw material" of a new
digital society. "Government must play its part by setting a
framework for new approaches to using data and 'mashing' data from
different sources to provide new services which enhance our lives.
In particular, we want government information to be accessible and
useful for the widest possible spectrum of people."
Timms said, "We are supporting Sir Tim in a major new project,
aiming for a single online point of contact for government data,
and to extend access to data from the wider public sector. We want
this project for 'Making Public Data Public' to put UK businesses
and other organisations at the forefront of the new semantic web,
and to be a platform for developing new technologies and new
services."
So far, 1,300 people have signed up to the developer forum and
contributed to the discussion board on what the data could be used
for. The Cabinet Office also held a developers' camp where ideas
were shared.