It takes about 4588 quasars to help you get around and get paid

I love learning about the data infrastructure that shapes the world we live in. Like all good infrastructure it's usually invisible, because it just works. But there's always something interesting to learn if you dig into the detail. For example, a few years ago when I was researching how geospatial data is accessed, used and … Continue reading It takes about 4588 quasars to help you get around and get paid →

Will AI hamper our ability to crawl the web for useful data?

As websites start to block Common Crawl, and as the project leans in to its role in training LLMs, will it become harder to use data from the web for other purposes?

Increasing consistency of data with FAIR Implementation Profiles

FAIR implementation profiles offer a means to increase consistency around how data is shared.

Norming on Mastodon

Reminding myself that in order to build norms we need to share them. Those "preachy" posts on Mastodon are an essential part of doing that.

Consistency before standards

Before jumping straight into scoping and designing new standards, we should look at other quick wins to increase consistency around how data is published.

The commons: it’s OURS to GIFT

I was thinking about some of the key elements we might want to see in a sustainable, participatory, ethical data commons and this popped into my head.

Please skip Hardin, just focus on Ostrom

A few weeks ago Aljazeera published this opinion piece on "AI and the tyranny of the data commons". It's not very good. The core observation can hardly be disputed: "platforms" have hoovered up data for their own benefit. Most recently through AI. Nothing much to disagree with there and nothing you can't find in a … Continue reading Please skip Hardin, just focus on Ostrom →

The Public Charge Point regulations and other examples of open data and standards in UK legislation

This week the UK published some new draft legislation: The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023. You can read a summary of what the legislation covers elsewhere, but what caught my attention was that it purports to require that operators of electric vehicle charging points must publish open data about their charging points. But I was … Continue reading The Public Charge Point regulations and other examples of open data and standards in UK legislation →

Round up of some current energy sector data infrastructure projects

Now that I work in the energy sector I'm trying to pay closer attention to how the data infrastructure in that area is evolving. Here's a round up of some current and recent projects that I've been keeping an eye on. Along with some thoughts on their scope, overlaps and potential outcomes. Ofgem review of … Continue reading Round up of some current energy sector data infrastructure projects →

It’s just a spreadsheet, but it’s still data infrastructure

I've found my new favourite example of a well documented, tiny slice of data infrastructure. I'm going to hazard a guess that it's probably the simplest dataset that is designated as national statistics. If you can think of one simpler, then let me know. It's the weekly road fuel prices data on gov.uk. This data … Continue reading It’s just a spreadsheet, but it’s still data infrastructure →