Thanks to Jen Pahlka for twittering an important (if troubling) comment made by California CIO Teri Takai at an event today:
Asked my own ? to Teri Takai: what are plans for CA to open up data to citizens?
A: we want to know what will provide value b4 we do it.
Teri, you have it backwards. The whole point of opening data through APIs is that you have no idea what will provide value. You have no idea how the data will be used.
APIs and open data allow innovation to occur outside the organization, which is what makes it so important that all levels of our government open as much data as possible and let citizen-developers experiment with it to find opportunities. That is the whole point of transparency in government.
Open data is a necessary ingredient for innovation, transparency, and the creation of all kinds of value that none of us can predict today. If you only open what you think has value now, you will miss all the opportunities that you can't anticipate.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the worldwide web (so he knows a thing or two about open data) implored all of us at TED - now is the time for data to be open. Teri, our state should be the leader in this. It is our data. Please open it up to us and let all of us help promote change, and build value.
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