Evolving Data.gov with You General

I suggest you use pictures not badges

We all know how layered the government can be and that creates the delays and frustrations we are all familiar with. You need to do what smart companies are doing and empower those directly dealing with the programs or data to have authority to make decisions without having to run it through 4 different layers first. If something doesn't work out that's OK ... we can fix it just as fast!

I am collecting government data and putting them into spreadsheets for easy use in research. I've save them here

http://gsociology.icaap.org.

The rating column is close to useless currently. If one person rates a dataset with 5 stars it sorts at the top. You need a concept of either popularity (most downloaded) or highest rated with some weighting for number of votes.

It should be more obvious to users of both the main Data.gov site and this Ideascale site how to suggest datasets!

1. "Suggest Data" (or something like it) should be a Data.gov main menu item

2. "Dataset Suggestions" should be a "Category" here (on the Ideascale-based site)

I applaud the Data.gov "powers that be" for enabling conversations ranging from strategy to technology by implementing this Ideascale-based site. I believe, however, that the site is mis-named. As the great author and consultant Peter Block has said, communities are about *conversations*. This is not mere semantics; participatory conversations amongst concerned stakeholders are inherently different than "dialogues," ...more »

It would be helpful to see the date that an idea or comment is posted here.

I'm always on the lookout for new data sets that I can use in teaching. To this end, it would be helpful if:

1) There were a way to notify me, e.g., by RSS, email, etc., when new data sets are added to the data catalog

2) There were a way to sort the list of data sets in the catalog by date entered

Thanks.

Greg Reese

It would be a very good idea to offer UCC datasets, across all 50 states' Secretary of State Office, for all articles: (Sales, Leases, Negotiable Instruments, Bank Deposits, Funds Transfers, Letters of Credit, Bulk Transfers and Bulk Sales, Warehouse Receipts, Bills of Lading and Other Documents of Title, Investment Securities, Secured Transactions). Dissemination and knowledge of this information would be very helpful ...more »

For people who aren't technologists, it would be really helpful to have a Help page. The tutorial is not up to date.

We're interested in hearing your ideas about the new site for Data.gov and how we can continue to improve. Is it easier to find information? Do you like seeing some of the apps and mashups people are creating? What do you think?

ISEN.org site pending launch.