pen knowledge forum on civic information: 17th Feb 1900

Open Knowledge Forum on Civic Information
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Where and When
==============

For latest information please see the wiki page: 
http://www.okfn.org/wiki/OpenKnowledgeForums

   * When: 17th February, 7pm - 9pm (1900 - 2100)
   * Where: Stanhope Centre, Marble Arch, London. 
[http://www.stanhopecentre.org/about/directions.shtml Directions]
   * Contact:
     * email: [email protected]
     * phone: 07795 176 976 (Rufus Pollock)
   * The meeting is open to anyone who wishes to attend (please email in 
advance if you can)

Subject Matter
==============

This forum will address the subject of 'civic' information such as:

   1. Reportage of parliament events (e.g. Hansard) and the issue of Crown 
Copyright
   2. Parliamentary composition and voting
   3. Information on local government officials and activities

The focus will be on both:
   * projects and software that produce or make available such information
   * the legal and social issues involved in obtaining and providing such 
information

Lying behind all of these is that elusive goal of giving the public greater 
involvement in the democratic system and increasing the accountability of the 
government to its citizens.

Among others giving brief talks will be Stefan Magdalinski of 
theyworkforyou.com, Francis Irving of publicwhip, Tom Steinberg of MySociety, 
and the well-known copyfighter Cory Doctorow.

About the Open Knowledge Forums
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The Open Knowledge Forums are a series of informal gatherings centred on the 
subject of open information/data. It aims to bring together those /producing/ 
and those /campaigning/, and to cover everything from software to the law. The 
sessions are usually held in the evenings in London and their format is to 
have talks by three or four different people followed by a general discussion.

The Open Knowledge Forums are organized by the Open Knowledge Foundation: 
http://www.openknowledgefoundation.org/