“The notion of letting anybody run wild with government data may seem like the prelude to some kind of anarchic utopia, but it’s actually far less subversive. After all, environmental studies and transit schedules are public information that’s available anyway. What’s radical is that, by letting the general public manage the data, governments can capitalize on a massive talent pool to get better programming for next to no cost. Essentially, it’s a form of wikinomics — or mass collaboration.”

“Under your leadership, the City’s 311 System has grown into an invaluable civic service that has accumulated vast amounts of actionable data about all kinds of topics residents of New York City care deeply about. Now is the time to transform 311 into a tool of even greater value, for use by elected officials, policy makers, local leaders, and everyday New Yorkers by allowing any and all software developers to freely access, work with and build web applications based on the data contained in the system.”

“Beer has come a long way since breweries first had the idea of developing can packaging nearly 100 years ago. In the early 1900s, breweries had a problem producing a can that would withstand the pasteurization process and allow the beer to still taste good when it reached the consumer. In order to withstand the heat and pressure of the process, the first beer cans were constructed of tin and steel and were much more thick and sturdy than the ones we see today. By 1935, the first commercially produced beer in a can hit the market.”

“What does the mayor have to do with this?”
“Oh he’s just going to go deflower your bride, dear.”
“What? Are you crazy?”
“Well, it’s traditional for the local lord to have his way with every woman on her marriage night.”
“That’s insane!”
“Now you wouldn’t want to go against tradition, would you?”

“A presentation by two members of CAPES (the Chicago Area Participatory Economics Society) at the University of Chicago, about participatory economics and finance. The event was organized by the University of Chicago chapter of the Students for a Democratic Society, and held on May 19, 2009.”

“We undertook a project with a simple goal: to assess whether the business press, as it claims, provided the public with fair warning of looming dangers during the years when it could have made a difference.

“I’m going to provide a sneak preview of our findings: the answer is no.”

“Decisions made by government affect you, which means you have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. That said, making government participatory isn’t easy. The goal of Participation Camp is to use our collective knowledge to solve the problems of participation. We call on all government representatives, technologists, developers, NGOs, wonks and activists to join us as we share knowledge about new technologies and new methods for public participation.”