Category Archives: Pre-Watershed

Drawnalism at Open Data Camp 3

The team from Drawnalism will be doing livecapture of many of the sessions through the two days of Open Data Camp.

In essence, we will be taking notes of what’s discussed both in text and visually, and publishing them in short order for your reference. In many sessions, we’ll have two people doing livecapture – an artist, working on large sheets of paper, and a liveblogger, who will be typing furiously on a laptop throughout the session.

Continue reading Drawnalism at Open Data Camp 3

Open Data Camp Code of Conduct

The organisers of Open Data Camp have this year decided to adopt an explicit Code of Conduct for the event. This is to ensure that we continue to have an enjoyable event for all comers.

The code can be found here. We are using the same code as adopted by our colleagues at UKGovCamp.

Attendees will be informed at the start of each day who on the organising team they should contact (there will be two people – one female, one male) if they have an issue.

Innovation, Interaction and Open Data

Innovation – in numerous spheres, but especially in the economic – is one of the key putative benefits of Open Data. However, innovation is a complex and rarely solo activity.

Multiple inputs are required to create new products, services or efficiencies. It’s therefore unsurprising that ‘user innovation communities’ are visible all over. [1]

In my research, I’ve been looking at communities with proven innovation records – those of open source software – to identify exactly what activities are taking place that enable innovation.

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Turning LiDAR Data into Actionable Insight

default rendering of DSM in QGIS
Default rendering of DSM in QGIS on top of OS StreetView

My pitch to Open Data Camp 3 is to demonstrate my work with LiDAR data showing how it can be used to provide insights which can improve efficiency in a variety of business sectors. Continue reading Turning LiDAR Data into Actionable Insight

OK there are just SO MANY options for food and drink within 5 mins of the venue…

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drink in Bristol, the Watershed itself has a delicious menu, and stepping outside there are restaurants and cafes all around the harbourside. Slightly further afield (by “further”, I mean less than 10 minutes walk) there are restaurants, cafes and pubs as you walk up Park Street – the hill up towards Clifton. Walking in the other direction takes you to St Nick’s Market – a covered market with an avenue dedicated to food stalls; again, the way there (Baldwin Street) has many places to choose from too.

With so many to choose from, I’ll single out that are known to have tasty offerings.

Continue reading OK there are just SO MANY options for food and drink within 5 mins of the venue…

Improving local highways with open data

Are you already, or keen to improve local highways using open data? Are you developing apps / solutions, but not sure how to pitch them?

Obligatory picture of a road
Could you help improve the condition of our local highways network?

At Open Data Camp Bristol 2016, there’s an ideal opportunity to put your their skills to use to assist local authorities improve the condition of our local highways network. Here are some things we need help with:

  • What open data tools or methods would you recommend to local authorities and contractors?
  • Identify the key issues for collaboration with open data groups (e.g., Open Streetmap) outside the traditional highways industry

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How to map everything (but you definitely shouldn’t)

I’m totally new to the unconference scene and have only ever watched from the sidelines, on Twitter. My experiences of academic conferences makes me think there must be something better, and I guess this is it, so thanks to Giuseppe Sollazzo for inviting me.

By way of introduction, I’m an urban studies academic at the University of Sheffield but I spend a good bit of my time doing data analysis and mapping and sharing it with others. I’ve also collaborated on quite a few data journalism projects over the past 5 years, mainly with Simon Rogers at Google (and previously when he was at the Guardian). You can find out more from my Twitter and also on my blog. Most of what I do has some kind of geo or map component, so that’s what I hope I can bring to OD Camp 3 in Bristol.

Continue reading How to map everything (but you definitely shouldn’t)

Trying something new: Skills Swap

Post-It note with the words 'I want to know ...'Open Data Camp 3 is not far away now! We thought this year we’d ask for suggestions in advance for content and features, and one of the ones we liked very much is that we should have some sessions geared towards learning a new tool or skill. We certainly have enough people attending to match up the experts with the curious learners – so we have a cunning plan to make that happen.

What you will see, when you arrive, is an extra section at the Registration desk where we will ask you what you know, or what you’d like to know. We will add wants and offers to a session grid until we think we have enough to organise a series of short workshop sessions. Then we will set up one of the spaces at the venue as a ‘learning corner’ with a table and chairs, maybe a projector and screen, and tell people when each workshop session is about to start.

And that’s it! I’m very much in favour of not complicating it any further than that. Drop me a line if you have any thoughts about what to include, or if you want to request or offer a particular topic.