[CivicAccess-discuss] postal code --> riding

[Tracey P. Lauriault]

Another way is to lobby to make the public data set public.

I do not see a problem with your method, however, I would always have
completeness questions.  The postal code file our statistical agencies have
are also associated with polygon and point data files that allow you to map
demographics, elections results etc.  Which is quite handy.

In parallel to your tool I would love to have a way to develop dialogue with
statistical agencies about making their data available to its citizenry
since we have already paid for them anyway through taxation.  A lobby or
campaign to make these data public and a discussion about what a public data
are would also help us toward meeting the goal of transparency and having an
informed citizenry.

Cheers
t

On Sat, Sep 13, 2008 at 9:57 AM, Jennifer Bell <jenniferlianne at yahoo.ca>wrote:

>
> It seems the API I mentioned before for postal code to riding lookups may
> charge fees for use of their API... Which is fair enough, since they paid
> for it.
>
> This gave me an idea: one way of getting past the (astounding) postal code
> to riding $3K cost is to create a paralell data set by collecting input from
> users.
>
> A website could say: You are the first person from that postal code to use
> our site.  Please use one of these services [list] to look up your riding,
> and enter the name below.  (There would also have to be a mechanism for
> reporting incorrect ridings.)  The resulting data set would then be owned by
> the website who could re-distribute it as they choose (eg. for free).
>
> Does anyone see any problems with this?  Has it been tried before?
>
> Jennifer
> visiblegovernment.ca
>
>
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-- 
Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
https://gcrc.carleton.ca/confluence/display/GCRCWEB/Lauriault
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