A Cook’s Tour of Open Data from a User’s Perspective (Chief Electoral Officers)

Presentation to the Chief Electoral Officers of Canada
 at their annual meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on July 20, 2015, looking at open data not from a policy or regulatory perspective, but through the eyes of someone who has been consuming open data, and pointing to general principles that have been learned along the way.

Transcript

1. A Cook’s Tour of Open Data
   from a User’s Perspective
   Presentation to 

   Chief Electoral Officers of Canada

   Peter Rukavina, Hacker in Residence, Robertson Library, University of PEI
   July 20, 2015
   http://hacker.vre.upei.ca/
   

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8. Open Data Principles
   

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9. Open Data Principles
   (from a user’s perspective)
   

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10. Windmill by Stephen Downes is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
    

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11. Photo of Richard Brown from Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island
    

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12. Photo of Ron Estabrooks taken at the open house to officially launch the Hermanville/Clearspring wind development from www.gov.pe.ca.
    

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16. Golf at 50BPM by user707748013
    50 MW
    

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17. W&W - Bigfoot (Uriel M Deephouse Remix) by urielm
    122 MW
    

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18. Clip of audio from CBC Spark interview with Peter Rukavina by Nora Young, recorded June 19, 2011.
    

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20. [
    {
    "data1":164.2,
    "data2":17.63,
    "data3":0,
    "updateDate":1437139741,
    "error":0
    }
    ]
    

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21. [
    {
    "on-island-load":164.2,
    "on-island-wind":17.63,
    "on-island-fossil":0,
    "updateDate":1437139741,
    "error":0
    }
    ]
    

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26. http://innovis.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/
    

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27. “I have become slightly obsessed by
    your energy graph and am very
    grateful that you have found a way to
    record the load and wind power
    generated in PEI. Do you by any
    chance have a spread sheet of these
    values? I am looking at using storage to
    balance wind fluctuations and was
    hoping to try and using the real load
    and wind data to accomplish that.”
    

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28. Open Data Principle № 1
    You have no idea (at all)
    what open data might be
    used for.
    

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30. Town of Stratford Building Permit Summary 7/1/2013 to 7/31/2013
    Applicant Estimated Development
    Date PermitID Applicant Name Phone # PID Lot# Address Permit Type Project Value Permit Fee
    JUL-15-2013 DP078-13 Robert Gaudet 902-367-6129 932111 171 6 Carrington Road Accessory Building - New $1,200.00 $30.00
    JUL-25-2013 DP056-13 Stratford Quickstop 1044494 1 Jubilee Drive Accessory Building - New $11,000.00 $100.00
    Sub Totals: $12,200.00 $130.00
    JUL-05-2013 DP072-13 Rosemary Scott 902-569-3021 728188 135 33 Celtic Lane Accessory Structure (Pool, Deck, etc) - $800.00 $30.00
    Addition
    JUL-16-2013 DP077-13 Kent Building Supply - 329375 154 Spinnaker Drive Accessory Structure (Pool, Deck, etc) - $5,000.00 $30.00
    Andrew Sanderson Addition
    Sub Totals: $5,800.00 $60.00
    JUL-26-2013 DP085-13 Richard E. Woodfield 902-367-3637 1010693 7 Picton Beete Cr Accessory Structure (Pool, Deck, etc) - $3,000.00 $30.00
    New
    JUL-12-2013 DP076-13 Jamie Doiron 902-629-0224 486118 14 Towerwood Drive Accessory Structure (Pool, Deck, etc) - $3,000.00 $30.00
    New
    JUL-03-2013 DP039-13 Chris and Jennifer 902-569-2114 471508 10 Aintree Drive Accessory Structure (Pool, Deck, etc) - $6,000.00 $30.00
    Whitlock New
    JUL-30-2013 DP016-13 Craig and Jennifer 902-566-1801 1014638 93 Bonavista Avenue Accessory Structure (Pool, Deck, etc) - $25,000.00 $30.00
    Lawlor New
    JUL-15-2013 DP062-13 Drew and Karen 902-894-3959 1029180 22 Saints Crescent Accessory Structure (Pool, Deck, etc) - $50,000.00 $30.00
    MacIntyre New
    Sub Totals: $87,000.00 $150.00
    JUL-31-2013 DP059-13 Craftsman 940650 11 Galway Court Single Family Dwelling - Addition $18,000.00 $56.80
    Construction
    JUL-05-2013 DP071-13 Roger Johnson 902-569-4882 709154 73 Rankin Drive Single Family Dwelling - Addition $40,000.00 $114.40
    JUL-10-2013 DP070-13 Greenleaf Construction 902-566-3358 603613 1 2 Battery Point Drive Single Family Dwelling - Addition $150,000.00 $43.68
    Sub Totals: $208,000.00 $214.88
    JUL-25-2013 DP081-13 D.C. McCardle 902-367-9200 398586 70 77 Southampton Drive Single Family Dwelling - New $180,000.00 $458.20
    JUL-18-2013 DP079-13 D.C. McCardle Ltd 902-367-9200 398586 72 85 Southampton Dr Single Family Dwelling - New $200,000.00 $469.40
    JUL-30-2013 DP084-13 Barry MacDonald 1045749 13 11 Donegal Lane Single Family Dwelling - New $300,000.00 $1,187.60
    Thursday, August 01, 2013 Town of Stratford Building Permit Summary 7/1/2013 to 7/31/2013 Page 1 of 2
    

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33. pdftotext -raw

    Weekly_approvals_webpage_21_Oct_2011.pdf \
    Weekly_approvals_webpage_21_Oct_2011.txt
    

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34. 10-533 335067 402-bld-10 20-Oct-10 3-Oct-11 18-22 Water Street...
    10-569 363556 439-BLD-10 17-Nov-10 3-Oct-11 20 Lapthorne Avenue...
    11-002 1018274 001-bld-11 4-Jan-11 6-Oct-11 375 Mount Edward Road...
    11-136 342436 326-bld-11 26-Aug-11 3-Oct-11 134 Kent Street...
    

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35. -63.12688,46.23066,22 WATER ST,"10-533 335067 402-bld-10…
    -63.12606,46.24454,20 LAPTHORN AV,"10-569 363556 439-BLD-10..
    -63.14558,46.27834,375 MOUNT EDWARD RD,"11-002 1018274 001-bod-11…
    -63.12808,46.23572,134 KENT ST,"11-136 342436 326-bld-11…
    

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39. Open Data Principle № 2
    PDFs are where 

    data goes to die.
    

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40. I walked thru some testing with the
    admin assistant in planning.
    She had some concerns with data
    entry -- she found it cumbersome and
    also identified a couple of scenarios
    that were not possible to enter
    properly, or were not represented
    clearly in the result.
    

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41. Open Data Principle № 2B
    Bureaucrats really like
    File > Save as PDF…
    

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43. scale drawings drawn to Parking Design Standards and certified
    (stamped) by a qualified engineer, architect, or public land surveyor Shall
    be submitted where there are ten (10) or more Parking Spaces or for less
    than ten (10) spaces as required by the Development Officer with the
    application for the Building permit showing entrances and exits to such
    Parking facilities, all proposed and Existing Parking Spaces, aisles,
    lighting, and drainage of the Lot;
    

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44. scale drawings drawn to Parking Design Standards and certified
    (stamped) by a qualified engineer, architect, or public land surveyor Shall
    be submitted where there are ten (10) or more Parking Spaces or for less
    than ten (10) spaces as required by the Development Officer with the
    application for the Building permit showing entrances and exits to such
    Parking facilities, all proposed and Existing Parking Spaces, aisles,
    lighting, and drainage of the Lot;
    scale drawings drawn to Parking Design Standards and certified
    (stamped) by a qualified engineer, architect, or public land surveyor Shall
    be submitted where there are ten (10) or more Parking Spaces or for less
    than ten (10) spaces as required by the Development Officer with the
    application for the Building permit showing entrances and exits to such
    Parking facilities, all proposed and Existing Parking Spaces, aisles,
    lighting, and drainage of the Lot;
    

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45. GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES ................................................ 26
    4.1 ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
    4.2 BUILDING HEIGHT
    4.3 DECKS, AND OTHER PROJECTIONS INTO YARDS
    4.4 EXISTING BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES
    4.5 FENCES
    4.6 GROUPED DWELLINGS
    4.7 ONE MAIN BUILDING ON A LOT
    4.8 RESTORATION TO A SAFE CONDITION
    4.9 SATELLITE DISHES AND COMMUNICATION TOWERS
    4.10 WINDMILL TOWERS
    4.11 SUBDIVIDING OF ATTACHED DWELLINGS
    4.12 SWIMMING POOLS
    4.13 VEHICLE BODIES
    

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46. GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES ................................................ 26
    4.1 ACCESSORY BUILDINGS
    4.2 BUILDING HEIGHT
    4.3 DECKS, AND OTHER PROJECTIONS INTO YARDS
    4.4 EXISTING BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES
    4.5 FENCES
    4.6 GROUPED DWELLINGS
    4.7 ONE MAIN BUILDING ON A LOT
    4.8 RESTORATION TO A SAFE CONDITION
    4.9 SATELLITE DISHES AND COMMUNICATION TOWERS
    4.10 WINDMILL TOWERS
    4.11 SUBDIVIDING OF ATTACHED DWELLINGS
    4.12 SWIMMING POOLS
    4.13 VEHICLE BODIES
    General Provision for Buildings and Structures ................................................................................. 26
    4.1 Accessory Buildings
    4.2 Building Height
    4.3 Decks, and Other Projections into Yards
    4.4 Existing Buildings or Structures
    4.5 Fences
    4.6 Groups Dwellings
    4.7 One Main Building on a Lot
    4.8 Restoration to a Safe Condition
    4.9 Satellite Dishes and Communication Towers
    4.10 Windmill Towers
    4.11 Subdividing of Attached Dwellings
    4.12 Swimming Pools
    4.13 Vehicle Bodies
    

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48. Open Data Principle № 3
    Sometimes “open” can simply
    mean following 

    basic rules of design.
    

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53. Metadata Issues
    • Lot 50 was mislabelled as Lot 66.
    • Lot 66 was unlabelled.
    • Georgetown Royalty was mislabelled as Lot 73
    • Princetown Royalty was missing.
    

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61. The Confederation Trail passes 

    through 47 lots and 2 royalties.
    

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62. Open Data Principle № 4
    Open data is a
    conversation.
    

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67. (902) 367-3694
    

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69. Open Data Principle № 5
    Sometimes your users will
    create open data for you. 

    Follow their lead.
    

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70. Open Data Principles
    1. You have no idea (at all) what
    open data might be used for.
    2. PDFs are where data goes to die.
    3. Sometimes “open” can simply
    mean following rules of design.
    4. Open data is a conversation.
    5. Sometimes your users will create
    open data for you.
    

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86. Open Data Principles
    1. You have no idea (at all) what
    open data might be used for.
    2. PDFs are where data goes to die.
    3. Sometimes “open” can simply
    mean following rules of design.
    4. Open data is a conversation.
    5. Sometimes your users will create
    open data for you.
    

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87. Slides are online at
    http://l.ruk.ca/ceo-slides
    These slides are released under a Creative Commons license.
    You are encouraged to distribute them as far and as 

    wide as possible under the terms of the license.
    

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