Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut • Hacker News Board

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#11

Post by shawnee_ » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:05 PM UTC

VladRussian wrote: post #6

from the sources it seems to be a doing of the House. Do we have any Republican here? Can such a person elaborate on the merits of this decision, please.

Not a Republican, but I think what they are failing to recognize is that these websites are infrastructure in the same ways that highways are infrastructure. Would we bulldoze the Interstate Highway system if we couldn't afford to maintain it?

In the long term there are a lot of potential businesses to be built off the info these sites hold. For example: 379,939 raw and geospatial datasets on data.gov -- that's like 379,939 raw ingredients begging for a recipe to be made. One recipe = one business.

Republicans love business, business, business. So somebody with some brains needs to explain to them how these sites with raw data are good for businesses and potential businesses that can create jobs and grow the economy that they love to talk about.

Unless. . . the actual reason they are getting shut down is because the 'publicans have something to hide and they're worried what that transparency can reveal.

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#12

Post by smogzer » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:09 PM UTC

Well maybe they are putting together a better site that makes up for all of those and also enable the citizens to vote and/or give ideas where they want their money spent, or just enable the voters to keep the money if they do not have representation.

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#13

Post by kmfrk » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:10 PM UTC

VladRussian wrote: post #6

from the sources it seems to be a doing of the House. Do we have any Republican here? Can such a person elaborate on the merits of this decision, please.

The House basically controls funding, but I'd be interested to see who specifically voted in favour of cutting the programmes.

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#14

Post by eli » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:12 PM UTC

This is a misleading headline. Nothing has happened yet.

From the source article:

The White House requested $35 million for the e-government fund in 2011. The House allocated only $2 million in its bill, H.R. 1. The Senate, meanwhile, would provide $20 million for the e-government fund.

http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=35&sid=2327798

It's a budget fight, similar to the ones going on at hundreds of agencies right now. There's a lot of posturing going on around the budget, but considering the project results in a net savings for the government, I hope that common sense will prevail.

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#15

Post by ilikepi » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:18 PM UTC

Ainab wrote: post #7

DrHankPym wrote: post #5

Was Data.gov really that expensive to maintain? What is this cut really saving? $20 / month?

If you only consider hosting, but gathering data and formating takes more than $20.

"over the last few years data.gov has cost $8.3 million; the cloud computing initiative has cost $1.4 million; and USASpending.gov has cost $13.3 million"

http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2011/03/23/transparency-t...

So yeah, a bit more than $20/mo, but relative to the budget as a whole....

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#16

Post by j_baker » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:21 PM UTC

mberning wrote: post #10

knowtheory wrote: post #4

It is extremely ironic then, that the Canadian open data movement has held up the US as an example of transparency and openness, and a model for the sorts of disclosure that the Canadian federal government should live up to. This is such a momentous leap backwards, i just don't know where to begin. There is no other source for this data. We're still figuring out the best use for it, but if the government doesn't prov…

I know what you mean. I find it incredibly frustrating that we HAPPILY go after minuscule savings on things like data.gov and NPR, meanwhile it is 100% taboo to talk about cutting big budget areas like the military. In my opinion we need to be looking at the big 3 because that is where we have the best opportunity to make significant improvements. Defense Social Security Medicare/Medicaid

It sucks, but the truth of the matter is that cutting back Defense, Social Security, and Medicare are touchy issues that can't be done easily. Far easier to cut back things like data.gov, which will only upset a few Silicon Valley techies.

It seems to me that at this point, they're looking for politically low-hanging fruit rather than fiscally low-hanging fruit.

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#17

Post by jdp23 » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:28 PM UTC

knowtheory wrote: post #4

It is extremely ironic then, that the Canadian open data movement has held up the US as an example of transparency and openness, and a model for the sorts of disclosure that the Canadian federal government should live up to. This is such a momentous leap backwards, i just don't know where to begin. There is no other source for this data. We're still figuring out the best use for it, but if the government doesn't prov…

Yeah really. It's almost like politicians in DC don't really want the information to be available ...

That said, the HN community makes a real point of how apolitical it is. Rather than organize and work with government transparency advocates to try to influence the system, the norms here discourage people from discussing politics. So it's pretty ironic to me to see all the disappointment about this here.

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#18

Post by protomyth » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:33 PM UTC

hendler wrote: post #8

I don't claim to understand. Maybe there are problems with the ambition of the project, not the cost. Or maybe not enough people actually use it. But, shutting down a visionary (and probably inevitable) effort to open and modernize government feels like a backlash.

I think a lot of the ire is more directed at recovery.gov and data.gov is caught in the crossfire.

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#19

Post by Estragon » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:33 PM UTC

ilikepi wrote: post #15

Ainab wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you only consider hosting, but gathering data and formating takes more than $20.

"over the last few years data.gov has cost $8.3 million; the cloud computing initiative has cost $1.4 million; and USASpending.gov has cost $13.3 million" http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2011/03/23/transparency-t... So yeah, a bit more than $20/mo, but relative to the budget as a whole....

So, a few hours in Iraq/Afghanistan, then...

Re: Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut

#20

Post by jdp23 » Thu, Mar 31, 2011, 11:36 PM UTC

j_baker wrote: post #16

mberning wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know what you mean. I find it incredibly frustrating that we HAPPILY go after minuscule savings on things like data.gov and NPR, meanwhile it is 100% taboo to talk about cutting big budget areas like the military. In my opinion we need to be looking at the big 3 because that is where we have the best opportunity to make significant improvements. Defense Social Security Medicare/Medicaid

It sucks, but the truth of the matter is that cutting back Defense, Social Security, and Medicare are touchy issues that can't be done easily. Far easier to cut back things like data.gov, which will only upset a few Silicon Valley techies. It seems to me that at this point, they're looking for politically low-hanging fruit rather than fiscally low-hanging fruit.

Exactly. Many techies avoid politics and activism or fail to learn the skills to do it well. The learned helplessness leads to becoming the low-hanging fruit.