Frequently Asked Questions

What is Open Data?

Open Data is the philosophy and practice requiring that certain data should be freely available to everyone, without restrictions from copyright, patents, or other mechanisms of control. This then allows people to use that data to learn from it, and create applications based off of it. [Source: Wikipedia ]

Is all public data considered "Open Data"?

Simply put, it isn't. For data to be truly open, it has to be available with a license that gives users the right to use the data, merge it with other data sets, modify it, and re-distribute it.

Also, data should be available in a format that is easy for computers to read and manipulate. If the information is locked into a .pdf file, or spread out across several webpages, then it is very hard for someone to collect all of it and use it effectively. For a list of standard formats that are ideal for use, have a look at what Vancouver has put together.

This concept sounds ambitious. Has it been applied in governments before?

Of course! Open Data is not a new concept, and it has been applied before. For example, both the United States and the UK are using it on a federal level. On a municipal level, several cities such as San Francisco, Washington, Vancouver, Edmonton, and even Toronto have jumped on board. Each of these all maintain their own data catalog where citizens can download and use the data.

What data sets are currently available in Ottawa?

As of yet, the city of Ottawa has not released any official data sets. However, they have announced that they are going to have an initial set ready within the very near future. In the meantime, they have granted us permission to use data that we can find on www.ottawa.ca.

I don't want people seeing MY data!

Open Data is not about releasing ALL information that the government collects. That means that secure and personal documents, such as medical records, are never going to be accessible to the public. However, harmless data sets such as budget reports, park locations, and bus stop schedules are all candidates for being released.

What is an "App"?

An "app", or application, can either be classified as web-based or mobile. Let's consider both of these individually:

Web-based

These apps can be accessed by going to a website on your desktop or mobile browser. If you've used GMail, Twitter or Facebook before, then you have essentially used web-based apps. These differ from plain websites in the sense that there is an interactive and dynamic component to them-- they almost feel like you are using a desktop program such as Outlook, Word or Photoshop.

Mobile

These types of apps are not accessed through a website, but rather by a program that you download onto your phone. Apple has used this term extensively when referring to the games and utilities you can use on the iPhone or iPad. However, apps are not only for Apple! Smartphones such as Blackberries, Androids, and Windows Mobile phones also have the capability to have applications downloaded and installed on them. Each of these have their own "App Store", where you can browse and download apps that you want.

Where can I get these Open Data Ottawa apps?

Some apps will be accessible through websites (from your desktop or mobile browser), and some will be through "App Stores" on your mobile phone. For the former, we are currently showcasing these over in our Apps section.

A "Hackfest" sounds scary. What is it?

Unfortunately, the term "hack" has gotten a bad reputation due to the media always using it in malicious contexts. In reality, hacking simply refers to innovating through unconventional means. Basically, it's figuring out awesome ways to create awesome things-- something that Open Data Ottawa is all about. Combine that with the word "fest", and you have an amazing event where people work together to create ways that make Ottawa kick even more ass.

Will there be free t-shirts at the Hackfest?

Why yes! Thank you for asking. We have a limited supply of sweet shirts, so show up early if you want to get yours!