Potholes, progress and open data

Ingrid Koehler has a very nice post on potholes and progress and open data.

Here’s an extract:

Linked data has a lot geeky buzzwords and acronyms attached to it. SPARQL, RDFa, API, blah, blah, blah. But the important thing about linked data is that it means that you can add value to your data by combining it with someone else’s. Basically, it’s about creating a web of data as easy to navigate as our current web of documents and images. And that brings us back to potholes.

To start on the principles of open data and linked data, watch Tim Berners-Lee’s seminal talk on the ‘next web’ and his update on government and open data.  Visitdata.gov.uk or check out the Local Government e-Standards Body which convened yesterday’s meeting. Or check out open and linked data in local government in action by visiting the community of practice on the Open Elections Data Project

She does a good job explaining – in the context of potholes – why it is a really good idea to construct a web of linked data, rather than a series of separate databases.