Obama's Overlooked Order to Open Government Data - The Denver Post

"When Matthew Fontaine Maury started analyzing those logs and mapping them onto charts, he found previously invisible patterns in the data that showed patterns in weather, winds and currents. In 1855, he published this knowledge in a book, 'The Physical Geography of the Sea.' He also made a crucial decision for navigators around the world: After he collected the data, Maury then shipped them to anyone who wanted them, and he asked for contributions in return. Over time, it became a worldwide project. Maury saw great value in publishing the data 'in such a manner that each may have before him, at a glance, the experience of all.' Notably, President John Quincy Adams agreed. Not long afterward, the United States created standards for reporting meteorological data and endowed the U.S. Naval Observatory. In many ways, Maury's work and the government's codification and release of these data set the stage for the historic moment we find ourselves in. Around the world, people are still using government weather data when they travel, though few consult nautical charts. Instead, they tap into the growing number of devices and services that make open data more actionable. For instance, think about how you use the mapping apps on an iPhone or Android device. That glowing blue dot places you in time and space, enabling you to know not only where you are but how to get somewhere else. In more than 450 cities around the world, when you look for mass transit options, the routes and even departure times for the next train or bus show up on that interactive map as well. That glowing blue dot exists because of a series of executive decisions made by presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, who decided to progressively open up the data created by the satellites in the Global Positioning System to civilian use, enabling a huge number of location-based technologies to make their way into the palms of citizens around the world. Now, we may see even more life-changing technologies as a result of open government data. Last week, the White House released an executive order that makes 'open and machine readable' the new default for the release of government information. Although people who care about open data were generally quite excited, the news barely made an impression on the general public. But it should: This is perhaps the biggest step forward to date in making government data - that information your tax dollars pay for - accessible for citizens, entrepreneurs, politicians, and others ..."