[CivicAccess-discuss] maybe OT - values of CivicAccess

[Jennifer Bell]

I think we agree: the trick is to get the right data.
 
As an example, I was sent this article a few months ago by an economist.  It's an interesting view on how some key US economic indicators in government reporting were unilaterally re-defined in the 90s, with a) hardly anyone noticing, and b) potentially disastrous results:
 
http://www.weedenco.com/welling/Downloads/2006/0804welling022106.pdf
 
The take of the article is that the indicators were re-defined specifically so that the govt. could keep on reporting rosy numbers.  Access to raw data, and forums where people who disagree can voice their opinion, is a step in the right direction.

Jennifer
VisibleGovernment.ca
 
> --- On Wed, 11/19/08, Robin Millette
> <robin at millette.info> wrote:
> 
> > From: Robin Millette <robin at millette.info>
> > Subject: Re: [CivicAccess-discuss] maybe OT - values
> of CivicAccess
> > To: jenniferlianne at yahoo.ca, "civicaccess
> discuss" <civicaccess-discuss at civicaccess.ca>
> > Received: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 3:56 PM
> > On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 14:31, Jennifer Bell
> > <jenniferlianne at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> > 
> > > I'm not sure I understand the question, but I
> > think it's a linked chain: open government data
> will
> > lead to increased citizen involvement, which will lead
> to
> > improvements in efficiency almost by definition.
> > 
> > But, like stats, data can be made to say just about
> > anything. An
> > important part of this process is knowing the source
> of the
> > data,
> > validating it, scrutinizing it, even collecting our
> own.
> 
> 
>      
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