Open Data Day 2014 celebrated in Nepal

Nikesh Balami

Nikesh Balami

 | 

Mon Mar 03 2014

With the help of different Open Communities working under Open Philosophy like FOSS Nepal Community, Wikimedia Nepal, Mozilla Nepal, NOSK, Acme Open Source Community (AOSC) and Open Knowledge Foundation Network Nepal etc. Open Data Day 2014 starts from 11 AM on the date of 22nd February 2014 in GPF building, Kamaladi, Nepal. On that day Participants where taking part on Five different Program:

1) Open Spending Hackathon

2) Makers Party

3) Wiki School

4) Talks

5) Open Community Consortium

Open Spending Hackathon was organized by Open Knowledge Foundation Network Nepal and the team where working on the Budget of Kathmandu Metropolitician City. They were Visualizing the budget by using their own portal openspendingnepal.org which was gong to be launched on the same day.

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Makers Party was organized by Mozilla Nepal with the aim to visualized Open Data using Mozilla Webmaker and Firefox Student Ambassador (FSA) was helping them to do that.

Wikimedia Nepal launched Wiki School on the same day. It is the place where one can take a week of free training and learn to edit and update Wikipedia in both Nepali and English language.

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Others participants who where not taking part on the Hackathon was attending Talks program.The entire open source activist was gathered together on the fine occasion with an aim to form a new community which can be a common umbrella for all those people who work for Open Source.

The major topic on discussion was:

1 What is our comfort contrast reflect Back/Feedback?

2 Who is doing What?

3. What is possible Collaboration Scenario?

4. What could have come Better?

5. Involvement in open Process/Community or Contribution

6. Our challenges and Future Plan.

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 At the Talk Program:

Ambassador of OKFN Nepal Prakash Neupane, Speak about the need of Open data in Nepal told:

“Government release different type of data every year. This is formality. Technically it should be platform Independent, Machine Readable, Published in soft form, Accessible, these all are components of Open Data. Various organizations like World Bank release data in open format, the recipient do not. When data is open, it is easy to interpret and manage. Various organizations under Open Government Partnership have made their data open”.

He also told,” Various organizations are working in Nepal to have open data in and Nepal Government has begun the work from MOF but there is a lot to do. Researchers, Students and Other Scholars would be better if they are given opportunity to work. Our organizations also should start to release data in open format.”

Prabin Gautam from FOSS Nepal Community told:

“Open source is all about Collaboration, lobbing, Development to promoting OS. There are different projects in github and still we are lagging to deliver our products. Although there are various initiatives from personal level, we are building up repository. FOSS Nepal Community is working in Standardizing and content.”

He added, Different Programming communities are working from their side; Meetups are sharing experience to make efforts easy. Hakathons conducted different events is one benefit. But still there are things to work on so that the efforts bring a color. Different programming based community are working on their own way or own group but yet collaboration is necessary.

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Talking about GLAM Saroj Dhakal from Open GLAM (Gallery, Library, Archive, and Museum) told:

Culturally we come from close culture; therefore we are lacking Open GLAM. Government is not giving lot of concern in this. We can do GLAM activities through Wikipedia, Commons, and other platform. We can produce Quality and Quantity articles on GLAM. Our history can be documented through this. OKFN Started, Wikimedia Nepal has conducted Wiki Loves Monuments. We can do a lot but have to do a lot.

 

Open Hardware activist Sunoj told:

Ujjwal Shrestha begun open hardware concept in Nepal. We have not set a standard of Open Hardware; communities are collaboration to form this. Robotics Association is working in this. We are working in electronics now but there is lot of subjects. Open Source Hydro, Windmill etc exist there. This ecology will help our development a lot. Open Hardware Association an organization is working.

Makey added: An open source Hardware that interacts with computer in a funny way. WE have made a clone of it. The objective of its use is Education. e.g. it focus on the concern of the kids. We’ve used apple as a tool that is connected by a pin. 2008 Barcamp there was a CD Drum.

 

Open Web expert from Mozilla Avash Mulmi told :

Web developed using open standard. Objective of open web is that it should be easily accessible to all. Coding, Publishing, Access are the three basic requirement of open Web, W3C, Mozilla. In Nepal, PHP, Flash, etc are shifted to open platforms. Open apps can be run in all browser. Google is in between, amazon and Facebook are in close almost all other webs are in open web. A lot of works have to be done.

Prabin Gautam told “Most of the government sites are dependent on IE. to be worked in implementation and policy both in the government agencies.”. “ Concerned organizations should give documentation to government to make change. Government can work if there is pressure” told, Hempal Shrestha.

Arun Karki from NTV / Open Media told:

Collection and use of data, future of journalism, and publishing data in open format and easy access to the data is the concern of open media. What is hidden information in information? This should be clear. Election Commission published data but it was not open format. Media face problem by data in close format. Data should be freely available.

He added: Realization and awareness building is necessary in media regarding open data. Policy makers should be familiar to technologies and situation as well. IT Device should be compulsory to the legislators. Realization, publicity and use should be there. Open standard- Government should make a standard and Creative Commons should open chapter in .

 

Open Community Consortium named OCCC: Open Community Collaboration Consultant was also founded in the Same Day after the discussion.

Hash Tag: #oc3np #occc #oc2c #occ2

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At the end of the day the Output of the Hackathon was shown and discuss, Open Knowledge Foundation Network Nepal Launched a budget portal named openspendingepal.org and Group photo was taken.

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Blog from the participant: http://www.neekes.com.np/data-visualization-web-maker-open-data-day-2014/

Video From participant : https://nikesh2.makes.org/popcorn/1s46

For More Photos: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Open_Data_Day_2014

Blog based on the Documentation of Shristi Baral

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