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Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

blog.apievangelist.com

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Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#51

Post by incongruity »

polemic wrote: post #38

I'm reminded of this recent post by James Fee, talking about geodata, but I think it applies to the general case: "... The question was APIs or downloads... Personally, I believe [data] is one of the best ways for citizens to keep track of their government (local to federal) ... APIs tend to deliver what their “owners” want them to do. Raw data means everyone has an opportunity to check each other’s work. Of course,…

The exciting thing about APIs isn't what they directly do for non-technical individuals.

Instead, a good API makes government into a platform for free (and paid) services to be built to deliver that data in innovative ways. Examples of this are starting to appear in places like Chicago which has opened up a lot of data access – for things including transit (bus tracking, etc.) and a lot more. Giving hackers platforms to innovate will definitely yield better results than just throwing gobs of data at the general public. (Never mind that not all raw data is created equal or that raw data also requires savvy people to distill.

It also means that it's potentially going to be easier for one unit of government to interact with (or at least query) another. That may be big as well.

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#52

Post by pjscott »

grandalf wrote: post #21

As is obvious to most on HN, requiring an API (as opposed to a CSV file release schedule, etc.) is fairly meaningless, and most definitely not a presidential-caliber dictate. Some agencies' data might be far better suited to publication in a CSV and posted on a web page, for example. If a president could have a meaningful impact on this sort of thing, it would be in setting a high bar for the quality of information r…

Technically, having a bunch of HTTP resources that return data of type text/csv in response to GET requests is a perfectly valid API. It's also easy to build: just put those CSV files in a directory and have Apache serve it up.

How useful this is depends on how clear the data is, how well they document things, how sane their document formats are -- in other words, it depends on things that are much harder to mandate than just "have an API". I'll predict in advance that most of the APIs here will be pretty half-assed.

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#54

Post by einhverfr »

pjscott wrote: post #52
grandalf wrote: post #21

As is obvious to most on HN, requiring an API (as opposed to a CSV file release schedule, etc.) is fairly meaningless, and most definitely not a presidential-caliber dictate. Some agencies' data might be far better suited to publication in a CSV and posted on a web page, for example. If a president could have a meaningful impact on this sort of thing, it would be in setting a high bar for the quality of information r…

Technically, having a bunch of HTTP resources that return data of type text/csv in response to GET requests is a perfectly valid API. It's also easy to build: just put those CSV files in a directory and have Apache serve it up. How useful this is depends on how clear the data is, how well they document things, how sane their document formats are -- in other words, it depends on things that are much harder to mandate…

Technically having a bunch of HTTP resources that return data of type text/html in response to GET requests is a perfectly valid API. Indeed, it's one your web browser uses all the time. There are also plenty of products that let you set up such a system quickly.....

So I guess I agree with you but would even take it further.

Of course, if that API is Stuxnet or Flame-based....

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#55

Post by astrofinch »

isamuel wrote: post #26
cjoh wrote: post #18

Wish they'd done some reasonable amount of procurement reform before this. All this means is another big payday for gov contractors

The two issues are completely orthogonal.

I disagree. If your to-do list consists of "learn to touch type properly" and "write a better compiler for C++", you'll find some ways of prioritizing your to-do list more conducive to accomplishing your goals than others.

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#56

Post by codeonfire »

This is kind of interesting because maybe it shows how far the thinking is from technology right now. I can't wait to integrate FBI files into my web app, and maybe I can bypass 'authorized e-file providers' to file my taxes. Maybe I can download daily spy satellite imagery. My point is that what is already meant to be available is probably already available.

Decision makers are often excited about technology but don't really get the ground level experience. They want to do all the things...on a roadmap...with milestones. Mobile has to be involved in some way.

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#57

Post by polemic »

incongruity wrote: post #51
polemic wrote: post #38

I'm reminded of this recent post by James Fee, talking about geodata, but I think it applies to the general case: "... The question was APIs or downloads... Personally, I believe [data] is one of the best ways for citizens to keep track of their government (local to federal) ... APIs tend to deliver what their “owners” want them to do. Raw data means everyone has an opportunity to check each other’s work. Of course,…

The exciting thing about APIs isn't what they directly do for non-technical individuals. Instead, a good API makes government into a platform for free (and paid) services to be built to deliver that data in innovative ways. Examples of this are starting to appear in places like Chicago which has opened up a lot of data access – for things including transit (bus tracking, etc.) and a lot more. Giving hackers platforms…

A couple of points.

Whenever you put the word 'government' and 'innovation' into the same sentence, you need to check your working. Government is, by and large, terrible at technical innovation. And innovation by mandate will, predictable, be a non-starter.

That said, there are areas where it is appropriate - see my earlier examples (tranit bus feeds are another one) - where the relevant government agency has found a niche that (a) only they can provide the data, and (b) it is a very easily defined problem that they're solving.

Finally, I really take issue with this statement:

> "giving hackers platforms to innovate will definitely yield better results than just throwing gobs of data at the general public."

Utter rubbish. The "general public" is not stupid. The general public includes huge numbers of people with the domain knowledge and wherewithal to analyse the data. To claim that open and transparent government is better served through an elite technical class, instead of directly to individuals is simply false.

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#58

Post by intended »

bmelton wrote: post #24

This will likely go down the same way the original IPV6 mandate went down, before it was postponed, and before it likely will be postponed again when nobody's met the mandate. The issue is far more complicated than the comments I see in here are giving credit for. Don't get me wrong, there's going to be delay as the PHBs get themselves wrapped around what an API even is , but they'll have the directive routed to thei…

Its going to be a pretty huge undertaking.

I assume that this will lead to some discussion on API standards, as multiple agencies simultaneously realize the implications.

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#59

Post by rndmize »

polemic wrote: post #57
incongruity wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The exciting thing about APIs isn't what they directly do for non-technical individuals. Instead, a good API makes government into a platform for free (and paid) services to be built to deliver that data in innovative ways. Examples of this are starting to appear in places like Chicago which has opened up a lot of data access – for things including transit (bus tracking, etc.) and a lot more. Giving hackers platforms…

A couple of points. Whenever you put the word 'government' and 'innovation' into the same sentence, you need to check your working. Government is, by and large, terrible at technical innovation. And innovation by mandate will, predictable, be a non-starter. That said, there are areas where it is appropriate - see my earlier examples (tranit bus feeds are another one) - where the relevant government agency has found a…

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your use of the term technical innovation, but weren't the Manhattan Project, NASA and many military projects innovation by mandate that were extremely successful?

Re: Barack Obama Directs All Federal Agencies to Have an API

#60

Post by rndmize »

jbooth wrote: post #43
polemic wrote: post #38

I'm reminded of this recent post by James Fee, talking about geodata, but I think it applies to the general case: "... The question was APIs or downloads... Personally, I believe [data] is one of the best ways for citizens to keep track of their government (local to federal) ... APIs tend to deliver what their “owners” want them to do. Raw data means everyone has an opportunity to check each other’s work. Of course,…

They've published a lot of data, too.

They seem to be noting their third anniversary on that, in fact: http://www.data.gov/
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