There is no shortage of open data. The question is, is anyone using it?; Computer Weekly, 1/9/17

Jonathan Stoneman, Computer Weekly; There is no shortage of open data. The question is, is anyone using it?

"Why publishing data is not enough

So there is no shortage of open data – but is anyone using it? The UK government’s data portal, data.gov.uk, currently shows 36,552 published datasets available, and just over 30,000 of those have an open government licence. There are 6,444 more without a licence and, intriguingly, a further 3,664 are listed as “unpublished”.

Some 1,401 government departments, including local government and agencies, are listed as “publishers”. Two million datasets were downloaded in 2016, but 11,481 – 31% of the whole collection – were not, not even once.

The UK government sees publication as a measure in itself."

What does 2017 hold for open data initiatives?; Guardian, 1/6/17

Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Guardian; What does 2017 hold for open data initiatives?

"In 2016, open data was central to a growing number of projects across the globe. Throughout the year, data initiatives attempted to change the banking industry, took strides towards getting London fit, and fought “superbugs” through a real-time record of antibiotic resistance.

How will we see the open data ecosystem continue to grow in 2017? We asked the experts to tell us what the coming year will hold."

Open Data Awards Celebrate Smart Uses Of Public Data; Forbes, 7/10/15

Paul Miller, Forbes; Open Data Awards Celebrate Smart Uses Of Public Data:

"Open Data’s rockstars gathered at Bloomberg’s London offices last night, for the second Open Data Awards. Organized by the Open Data Institute (ODI), the Awards celebrate “a generation of network thinkers who are changing the world with open data.” More importantly, they demonstrate some of the ways in which services and applications powered by Open Data are transforming lives and creating business opportunities around the world. ODI co-founders, Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and University of Southampton Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, presented the Awards and shared their perspectives on the work that is still to be done.

Awards covered five categories, comprising a Business award, an Innovation award, a Social Impact award, an Individual Champion award, and a Data Publisher award."