Creating a common taxonomoy using open government data

Creating a common taxonomoy using open government data by Suhaifa Naidoo | 01 February 2012 | 0 Comments

Stafford Masie, a self-confessed serial entrepreneur, recently spoke at the TEDx Stellenbosch event held in August 2011. Masie spoke about sensory awareness and how technology is rapidly changing the way we live in cities. He began by highlighting the functionality and capability of mobile devices or preferably sensory rendering devices/platforms as he likes to call it. Mobile devices such as the iPhone 4S has evolved substantially and when placed next to your laptop for example, very less differences are visible. Although the capabilities of these devices are astonishing, developer’s are still not fully exploiting the mobile platform.

Masie goes on to highlight the power of open data and citizens using public information to improve urban life. Mobile companies and governments possess multitudes of data and this data can be used to fundamentally revolutionise our cities if it was simply made open for people to use. Government’s responsibility is to create ecosystems of immersion by exposing their data. This can be achieved by opening up their API's and data sets and allowing us to create App stores with our applications services to develop inside of them. Masie states that it isn't about government building Apps but us building it for them. "Make everything hackable" people need to gain access to it he said.

Masie calls for innovation in the way we use technology in African cities and shares what he wants to see happen which is “code for Africa using exposed governmental data because we don’t have legacy.”