蓝莓视频

Kartik Talwar wanted something more out of the听University of 蓝莓视频 when he arrived as a student in 2010: information, and lots of it.

It wasn鈥檛 that it didn鈥檛 exist; it was just in scattered digital听nooks and crannies. Talwar, who听graduates this year in math and physics,听sought a single source听from which to shape his student life, a giant听repository of听data about programs, courses, timetables听补苍诲听services.

So he built one, invited others to contribute and collaborate, and thus听added his weight behind the University鈥檚 advance into the world of open data.

鈥淚f (data) is accessible听to a lot of people, they can find creative ways to make sense of it, or use it in some way you would never have thought of,鈥� Talwar says.

February 21 marks Open Data Day

February 21 marks International Open Data Day.听Open data is as much a movement as it is a thing.

As a thing, open data forms part of the听digital trail听organizations and individuals leave behind going听about their daily activities.

As a movement, it is the push to get more of that raw information into the public realm,听where it can be turned into useful tools for living. Advocates argue that the inventiveness and agility to put open data to good use lies with individual users, not large holders of information.

It takes some convincing. Protection of individual privacy remains a major concern among听governments and institutions. Open data does not include听personally identifiable information.

At 蓝莓视频, open听data drives a wide range of projects, from听keeping track of the University鈥檚 Canada goose population to keeping .听

Talwar听had gathered datasets under his own website听by the summer of 2011. That fall, he moved听the project听to the University鈥檚 initiative. API stands for application program interface 鈥� the means by which users engage with datasets to build their own programs.

Open Data and 蓝莓视频 Student Portal

Now loaded with more than 80 datasets, the Open Data API听is an important resource for the 蓝莓视频 Student Portal听补苍诲 , an independent course planner created by 蓝莓视频 students in 2012. Flow isn鈥檛 a static, read-only听service. Among other things, it allows students to review and rate听courses, and听add custom听features to their听schedules.

Students could do some of this by creating their own 鈥渟crapers鈥� 鈥� programs that shake out听specified听bits of information听from websites.听

Examples of widgets from the Student Portal that provide real-time information about which campus eateries are open or which computer labs have available space.

鈥淧roviding open data significantly decreases the duplication of work, and as a result of reducing the duplication of work, it tends to foster innovation,鈥� says Jamie Wong, one of UWFlow鈥檚 co-founders.