DataCamp Seattle!

Reposted from the Code for America blog:

City governments have a lot of information which is useful to all of us. This ranges from maps of local parks to building footprints to real-time 911 calls. We all have an interest in our budget information, legistlative documents and other resources that we use in collective decision-making and deliberation. Not all of this information is currently available for all cities, even though much of it is public record. The “Open Data” movement is a way to work on getting information into machine-readable formats, allowing for easy publishing, sharing, and reuse.
We’re hosting DataCamps in CfA’s cities this year to build communities around making city data more open and accessible to allow citizens to help cities work better.
DataCamp is a event focusing on skill-building and collaborative work on city data. It is an opportunity for interested parties in a city to work together, and build a network of people with shared interested in improving civic communications and information management.

The Seattle event will be this coming Saturday, and here are some more details:

WhereSocrata Office101 Yesler Way, Suite 502Seattle, WA 98104
WhenFebruary 19, 2011 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Registration at 9:30 a.m.)(President’s Day Weekend)
ScheduleRegistration: 9:30 a.m.Introduction: 10:00 a.m.Hands-on Workshops:  10:15 - 11:45 a.m.Workshop presentations: 11:45 - 12:00 p.m.
Lunch 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  (Socialize with people you don’t know!)
Project Introductions: 1:30 - 1:45 p.m.Project time: 1:45 - 5:15 p.m.Project presentations & Closing Circle: 5:15 - 5:30 p.m.
Afterwards: Drinks/dinner with anyone interested in attending.
CostFree - but you must register at http://datacampseattle.eventbrite.com/
What to bringBring laptops & power strips if you have them.If you are working on a project with city data, bring your project ideas. Be aware that you will probably have 2-3 real working hours with anyone who is interested in helping you. So frame your project so that folks can pitch in and get something done by the end of the day. If you have questions/ideas please get in touch. We would love to discuss.
If you use a technology-based tool that you feel would be useful for others to learn, bring a demo. Examples: data scraping, embedding datasets, 'open data for journalists', using map data, etc.
There is room for 50 people.
Questions?If you have any questions about this event, please contact the Code for America team via email: seattle (at) codeforamerica (dot) org
About this DataCampOrganized by the Code for America fellows, who are in Seattle for the month of February.
Code for America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a new public service, sort of like a Peace Corps for Geeks. The fellows are partnering with the City of Seattle to create solutions that allow for collaborative problem solving between the city and local civic leaders and community organizers. Learn more: codeforamerica.org/seattle, Twitter: @cfaSEA, email: seattle@codeforamerica.org
Socrata is a Seattle-based company that provides cities with a way to make data open and accessible for all. In addition to their work with data.seattle.gov, Socrata was recently spotted during Obama’s State of the Union address: Socrata helped the White House to publicize their log of visitors. Learn more: socrata.com
Seattle is a pioneer in the use of digital technologies in support of open data and online civic engagment. Seattle is participating in the first ever year of Code for America.