Category Archives: Open source

The Code for America “brigade effect” with TriangleWiki

Originally posted on opensource.com and licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA.

Have you ever seen results from your community engagement and realized the impact of your efforts? We recently told you about the LocalWiki project and shared some of the results from the Triangle Wiki day event. But then our friends at Code for America took it a step further.

The co-founders of LocalWiki were in the Code for America offices last week to see how they could build on the success of the Code Across America event. They took the data–633 page edits, 100 maps, and 138 new photos–and amplified it. Continue reading

How SPARKcon uses open source

Originally posted on opensource.com and licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA.

Image credits: h0tgrits, opensource.com - Licensed CC-BY-SA

Process over content. Aly Khalifa from Gamil Design and Designbox used this mantra to instill open source roots at SPARKcon—an annual event that showcases, celebrates, and influences the creative momentum naturally found in North Carolina’s Triangle region.

“I think at first it was hard for people to understand—it was hard for us to describe. Sometimes it was embarrassing—this commitment to process over content,” Continue reading

Raleigh’s Creative District Wiki Day Set for March 17

Neighborhood leaders from the Creative District are looking to document the history, assets, and knowledge of Southwest Raleigh on the morning of March 17. We are planning a content day to add pages and knowledge to trianglewiki.org.

Attendees will get a brief overview of how to create a new wiki page, how to use the mapping application, how to link to other wiki pages, and how to edit existing pages.

Our goal will be to document as many neighborhoods, places, and unique features that exist in the Creative District. Continue reading

Triangle Wiki Day a Huge Success for Open Source in Raleigh

Image credits: Laura Barnes Hamlyn

Image credits: Laura Barnes Hamlyn

Almost 50 people collaborated on February 25 at Red Hat headquarters, currently located on Centennial Campus in Raleigh, NC, to participate in Triangle Wiki Day. The event was a soft launch of trianglewiki.org, an effort to document the Triangle region and increase collaboration and knowledge sharing across the area. The wiki uses open source software, local wiki, as a content management platform that includes wiki pages, images, and mapping.

The day started off with a brief presentation [PDF] by Jason Hibbets on how the Triangle Wiki project fits in with the CityCamp Raleigh movement, as well as the larger open government picture and civic innovation week, Code Across America, by Code for America. Continue reading

CityCamp Honolulu Recap

Originally posted on opensource.com and guest posted on sunlightfoundation.com.

The theme that emerged from the first CityCamp Honolulu, held on December 3 (the 17th CityCamp held worldwide), was restoring citizen confidence in their government. In a very collaborative and participatory atmosphere, organizers looked to citizens to generate ideas for the City of Honolulu’s upcoming Code for America project and to harness the power of design thinking to rapidly prototype ten topics generated during the unconference. Continue reading

TriDUG Meetup November 16 – 6:30PM at Red Hat

I wanted to let you know about next week’s TriDUG (Drupal User Group) meetup on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 starting at 6:30PM, hosted at Red Hat. The agenda is below and if you’re planning on attending, RSVP at meetup.com.

This is actually part two of a series TriDUG is hosting about using Drupal with non-profits. Last month, Drupalers were introduced to SpringBoard followed by a presentation from Hesketh.com on working with clients. Next week, TriDUG has more of the same great stuff. Continue reading

CityCamp Colorado Keynote with Stephanie O’Malley

The second CityCamp Colorado started off with two speakers from the City of Denver setting the stage for the day’s theme: enhancing access to government. Held at the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Facility on October 28, 2011, more than 70 people gathered to participate, learn, and advance the open government movement. After Tom Downey, talked about the power shift in open government, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephanie O’Malley for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock explained the importance for citizens of knowing how to find government information. Continue reading

CityCamp Colorado Keynote with Tom Downey

The second CityCamp Colorado started off with Tom Downey and Stephanie O’Malley from the City of Denver setting the stage for the day’s theme: enhancing access to government. Held at the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Facility on October 28, 2011, more than 70 people gathered to participate, learn, and advance the open government movement. Continue reading

Duck diving into online surf forecasts

Hurricane KatiaDuring hurricane season, my attention turns to the Atlantic Ocean. I keep an eye on swell-producing storms and use a variety of forecasting tools to get to the right spot for the best surf. But I never really thought about the data behind the tools I use.

There are many different stats brought together by today’s forecasting technology: Continue reading