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Findable, Usable and Sharable: The Three Laws of Open Data

21 Oct 2009

A major theme that emerged from CeBIT Australia’s Gov 2.0 Conference was that governments needed to make data more accessible in order for Gov 2.0 to effectively engage with the community.

The importance of data openness was emphasised again in a government 2.0 taskforce post by David Eaves, member of the Taskforce’s International Reference Group.

Mr. Eaves succinctly addresses what is meant by “sharing data” in his Three Laws of Open Government Data:

1. If it can’t be spidered or indexed, it doesn’t exist (can I find it?)
2. If it isn’t available in open and machine readable format, it can’t engage (can I use it?)
3. If a legal framework doesn’t’ allow it to be repurposed, it doesn’t empower (can I share it?)

He goes on to explain that if Google can’t find a piece of data, it doesn’t exist for most citizens.

Once the data has been found, citizens need to be able to download it in a usable format in order for it to have utility. Data can be simply analysed in Excel or combined in a mash-up with Google Maps for example.

Finally, citizens need a legal framework allowing them to share their creation with others.

Without the initial data sets being made available and free to use, the benefits of using Web 2.0 for Governments and citizens to effectively engage with each other becomes diminished.

As Gov 2.0 develops, so too will the discourse surrounding it. Keep abreast of the latest ideas and implementations at CeBIT Australia’s 2010 e-Government Forum on 24 May.

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