Tag: open data
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Presenting the Open Aid Movement at Open Source Bridge
“Open source” is a method for putting intellectual property in the public domain, allowing anyone to use it however they see fit. I’m an advocate of the “open source way” because I believe that if more people shared intellectual property of all types – whether its farming techniques, software code, music, etc – then we’ll…
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When Platform Coops are Seen, What Goes Unseen?
If you’re involved with the “cooperative community” on social media, you’ve probably heard a lot about platform cooperatives in recent years. The vision is simple: what if Uber or AirBnb were owned by its users, who could share decision-making responsibility and profits among themselves? Instead of being exploited by platforms, users could and should be…
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Occupy Sandy and the Rise of Open Aid at AIANY on 9/10/16
The AIANY invited me to present my perspective on Occupy Sandy at their event “Stand Up! How to be Part of the Solution after a Disaster.” My presentation argues that Occupy Sandy, and the mutual aid work of its predecessor Occupy Wall Street, were physical-world manifestations of the “Open Aid” trend taking place in the disaster relief…
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Sahana Software Foundation Overview at the 2016 Global CAP Implementation Workshops on 8/22/2016
As president of the Sahana Software Foundation, I had the privilege of delivering a brief overview describing Sahana to the 2016 Global CAP Implementation Workshops held at the Asian Institute of Technology near Bangkok, Thailand. Slides are embedded below. This conference was my first time engaging, in-person, with the disaster relief community outside the United States and I was extremely…
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Introducing Data Models for Human(itarian) Services
This was originally posted at Sarapis Immediately after a disaster, information managers collect information about who is doing what, where, and turn it into “3W Reports.” While some groups have custom software for collecting this information, the most popular software tool for this work is the spreadsheet. Indeed, the spreadsheet is still the “lingua franca”…
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Creating a Shared Data Model with a Spreadsheet
Over the last year, a number of clients have tasked me with bringing datasets from many different sources together. It seems many people and groups want to work more closely with their peers to not only share and merge data resources, but to also work with them to arrive at a “shared data model” that they can…
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The DIY Databases are Coming
“The software revolution has given people access to countless specialized apps, but there’s one fundamental tool that almost all apps use that still remains out of reach of most non-programmers — the database.” AirTable.com on CrunchBase Database technology is boring but immensely important. If you have ever been working on a spreadsheet and wanted to be…
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“Open Tech and Open Data: The Key to Whole Community Engagement” at IAEM 2015
The International Association of Emergency Management (IAEM) Conference was described to me as the Oscars of Emergency Management field. The event took place in the Paris Hotel in Las Vega November 14th. It was three days after the Paris attacks. Walking under the hotels faux Eiffel Tower and through its simulated Parisian streets was uncomfortable.…
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Preparing for the Worst, Hoping for the Best: Data Standards, Superstorm Sandy, and Our Resilient Future
Originally posted at OpenReferral In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, many residents of New York City were left struggling. Though a broad array of supportive services were available to survivors — from home rebuilding funds to mental health treatment — it’s often hard for people to know what’s available and how to access it. New York…
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“Sharing Data to Improve How We Cooperate, Coordinate, Communicate & Collaborate” at NVOAD 5/14/15
This presentation was delivered at the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Conference 2015 in New Orleans. I’ve been an active (and actively marginalized) participant in my local NYCVOAD community, so it was nice to feel accepted by the broader VOAD community. Of all the presentations I’ve given, this one felt the best. The audience…