This project is all about data and how it can be represented in a creative way. We take data sources from the BBC and attempt to visualise them in ways which are both artistic and informative.

Follow the official BBC Backstage Blog and keep in touch with developments on Backstage as well as news stories relevent to open data and the Backstage Developer Network.

welcomebackstage.com

A developer network to encourage open innovation and support new talent. Content and data feeds are available for people to build upon under a non-commercial basis. Access the Ideas Store, mailing lists and other developer type stuff.

We're pleased to announce the release of the first public version of MapTogether's Illustrated Guide to Nonprofit GIS and Online Mapping. The Guide includes:

* a brief introduction to mapping and GIS (geographic information systems) technology and concepts
* examples of successful nonprofit projects using GIS and/or mapping technologies
* helpful strategies for planning your own mapping/GIS project
* a review of public data sources with freely available data
* a brief review of free and low-cost tools for nonprofit mapping and GIS projects

The Guide is released under a Creative Commons 3.0 NC/BY/ND license.

Download MapTogether-NPGIS-v.0.99.pdf (2.4 MB, PDF file)

BBMPElections.in is an effort to present the candidates and the choices before the city. You can use this platform to search for your ward by going through the assembly constituencies or the localities list. This is also a platform to post issues affecting your ward and to vote on issues posted. Also one can list Resident Welfare Associations that are functioning in a ward. Please vote on the issues that the new council needs to focus on once it assumes office.

Under the Electronic Election data initiative, the Commission has opened its databases. This section contains GIS data of Parliament and Assembly Boundaries, as SHAPE files as well as Digital Data (Lat-Long points) in XML format. You will need proper GIS Software to utilize these layers.Please note that these Parliamentary and Assembly Boundaries, and the Latitude-Longitude points are very rough (approx.) meant for color coding the maps for various kind of analysis. Overlaying these on one another or on some other GIS Layer from some other source may produce wrong results. To see the sample usage, please see our Election Maps section, or Map Based Navigation section or State Elections 2006 Results page.

OpenSTV is open-source software for implementing the single transferable vote and other voting methods such as instant runoff voting, Condorcet voting, and approval voting. OpenSTV is the only open-source software that implements the single transferable vote exactly as used by governments, including Scotland and the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. These methods have been extensively verified against other software and/or actual election results.

Organizations can use OpenSTV to implement their own elections. First, the organization must adopt a voting method. Second, the organization must conduct the vote, and this will most likely be done with paper ballots. Third, the ballots must be entered into the OpenSTV program. Finally, you can use OpenSTV to count the votes and determine the winners of the election.

Tactical Tech is putting together a guide on the basics of using digital tools in an activist/advocacy context. We'd like to know what questions you have in your day to day use of computers, the internet and your mobile phone