BuzzData: a social data hub
BuzzData is a data-sharing hub that emphasizes user visibility and interaction. While several data web services have launched over the last year (DataMarket, Timetric, Infochimps), many of them tend to focus largely on a “broadcast” model of data distribution — in that they compile the data and then offer it to their subscribers, a largely one-way street.
The BuzzData team has been greatly influenced by the success and philosophy of Github, and has been building the platform’s infrastructure similarly, with a community-first angle that predisposes users to connect with each other through data, rather than simply connecting to data alone.
BuzzData allows users to build a visible profile that shows their activity, connections and data. Users will also be able to search for topics and people, in addition to datasets. Every dataset published in BuzzData is accompanied with a summary page, links page, and questions/discussion page such that data is released with context, rather than standing alone.
A key feature of BuzzData is the ability to track activity related to given data, as well as changes to a dataset. Should a given dataset, topic or person interest you, you will be able to tag it such that you’ll be notified when something new has occurred in association with it. Further, BuzzData allows for version control — users can clone data, edit it, and merge it, while the source and revision history of the data always remains visible.
BuzzData’s vision for data use falls closely in step with those of CKAN.net. As such, it has begun discussing data interoperability issues such as open licensing with members of the Open Data Knowledge Foundation as well as the Creative Commons.
by Pete Forde on July 1st at 16:00 in Track I
Pete Forde is the co-founder of BuzzData, a data collaboration hub. Currently under development, they are tackling a huge unsolved problem: helping people find data they need. BuzzData provides tools to collaborate on data in a social manner. They are positioning to be the first destination for people working with data; a commons where datasets of all types can be shared. Pete believes that discovering, discussing and purchasing data should be as simple as buying an app in iTunes.
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