Set data free!

In the public administration we can find thousands of small pieces of data that are maintained with one or more specific purposes. What if others (public authorities or private enterprise) could benefit from these data?

Why are these data not available to the public?

Probably because of old fashioned thinking. Minds are like parachutes - they work best when they open.

The National IT- and Tele Agency has just published an analysis in the form of a list of public databases http://digitaliser.dk/ressourcer?tabContainerResources=tabDatakildeResources# . More than 800 small pieces of information. Some of them are already public available but most of them are not.

The purpose of this project is to show that the data exists and who the owner is. This way we can put a pressure on the most important owners to set the data free.

So far I have identified a few interesting databases like a WordNet (Thesaurus) database and lots of interesting GEO data. And then of cause, the list of Results of the control of seed potato - highlights for breeding control in pre-breeding base in 2006 - 2007. Okay not all data are that interesting :-)