eaves.ca - Latest Comments

Re: Some thoughts on the relaunched data.gc.ca

ditrain — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:54:10 -0000

Nice catch! Thank you!

Re: Some thoughts on the relaunched data.gc.ca

Gram-marm — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:45:20 -0000

Do you really mean "ascetically" or (a)esthetically?

Re: How Car2Go ruins Car2Go

wJustin — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:01:05 -0000

I use Car2Go, the andriod app stores the (agreeably ridiculous password) for 90 days. So four times a year I have to look up my password. Odd, but not a problem.

Re: What Traffic Lights Say About the Future of Regulation

Andrew Stott — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:56:54 -0000

For an interesting article about the safety advantages of roundabouts over intersections with traffic lights, see http://www.economist.com/no...

Re: Why is Finding a Post Box so Hard?

Julia — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 17:09:06 -0000

I'm in high school and am making a film with a scene that takes place at a post box. I've been frantically searching the web for something that would tell me ANYTHING about where to find a post box in Vancouver. You and your friend Steven are both complete lifesavers. Him for making that brilliant website and you for making this brilliant post. You don't know how grateful I am right now.

THANK YOU!

Re: Open Postal Codes: A Public Response to Canada Post on how they undermine the public good

No different than Americans! — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:48:05 -0000

"...what Canada Post is essentially saying is that it is okay for it to
leverage the work of other governments for free, but it isn’t okay for
the public to leverage its works for free. Ah, the irony."
That is NOT IRONY!!! it's hypocrisy.

Re: The Past, Present and Future of Sensor Journalism

Rob Cottingham — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:32:56 -0000

This is blurring the lines a little (ok, a lot), but a whole lot of business journalism is, if not sensor journalism, closely related: "the Dow was up 17 points in light trading, while the Shmerzak Composite Index fell by half a klummick." And whatever context gets added to those numbers is often causation by correlation: "as traders digested the latest housing price report" or "with Jupiter in retrograde, analysts clearly think mineral exploration is a safe bet."

Re: Some Nice Journalistic Data Visualization – Global’s Crude Awakening

David_Skok — Wed, 29 May 2013 09:39:18 -0000

Thanks for the kind words, David. It may be of interest to your readers to know that in the spirit of open data and transparency, we are hoping to release the data we FOI'd soon so that others can explore it as well and come up with their own analysis.

Re: Awesome Simple Open Data use case – Welcome Wagon for New Community Businesses

Chris McLuckie — Tue, 28 May 2013 10:29:47 -0000

Dave - check out civicinfo's work on data.civicinfo.ca. It's a province wide data catalogue with API (DKAN). Still early days but with the right momentum could be something great.

Re: Awesome Simple Open Data use case – Welcome Wagon for New Community Businesses

GAW — Tue, 28 May 2013 05:47:18 -0000

Dave,
I'm working on a story on open data and would like some practical applications. Have you got the Victoria person's contacts? I'm from Victoria and it would make me proud to have a little VIctoria content in this article for www.harbourtimes.com in Asia's World City (Hong Kong). Thanks.

Re: Duffy, the Government and the problem with “no-notes” meetings

Mike — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:16:22 -0000

"In an environment where there is no paper trail one cannot audit who knew what or who is responsible. This means everyone is responsible, all the way to the top."

I'm not so convinced that everyone gets held responsible. It seems that in creating this cloud of uncertainty, "someone" will be still be responsible, but that fall-guy can be determined when needed. If anything, it's designed to be that flexible so as to protect the guy at the top. Everyone else can first be trotted out to take the fall. A variation on plausible deniability, if you will.
I think this is due to the leader-centric political climate that has evolved in Canada. Any member of the government can be caught doing something wrong and simply be replaced. Except the leader. Whatever happens, find a way to blame anyone else except the leader - you need him to frown, tell everyone he's equally surprised, and promise he will fix it.

Re: Saving Millions: Why Cities should Fork the Kuali Foundation

Rodgers kebo — Sun, 12 May 2013 07:29:33 -0000

Interesting blog, and how is this effort going on bytway?

Kuali should also work with A1.iO in Academia. As a user of both Kuali and A1 Academia, I would say that would be the holy grail.

Regards

Re: How Car2Go ruins Car2Go

Robert Glen Fogarty — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:43:11 -0000

According to the parlance of Johnonymous, I'm an idiot, too. My complaints mirror yours, David, and I know others who would agree that the Car2Go app could be a lot more convenient without locking out legitimate users at the worst of times.

Re: Til Debt Do Us Part: Reality Television and Poverty

Lamestain — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:34:47 -0000

I have seen her deal with truly poor people including people who have had addiction problems (gambling) and grand parents raising a grandchild because her mother had those types of personal issues and they dealt with the material overcompensation the grandmother was doing.
At the end of the day she helps people deal with what their reality is and go forward into a better situation.

Re: The Value of Open Data – Don’t Measure Growth, Measure Destruction

Greg Hutchinson — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:47:30 -0000

David, you have likely already seen this paper on the costs and benefits of data proivision, but some of your readers may not. It provides a model for assessing the economic impact of open data, and applies it in three case studies. It's one of the more useful analyses I've found.

The author quotes you at one point, although they spell your name incorrectly.

http://ands.org.au/resource...

Re: Canada Post and the War on Open Data, Innovation & Common Sense (continued, sadly)

Hubert Figuière — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:35:18 -0000

For a government that promotes "Open Government and Open Data" and that have shown to show power of crown corps (remember the work conflict they legislated?) they seem to be very silent on the issue.

Re: How not to sell the Oil Sands

Thomas O'Donnell — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:38:03 -0000

Canada is now being subjugated to government by a political party that has turned against the country, its citizens, the environment and ecosystems that connect far outside our geopolitical borders.

The Harper Government is one of deceit, incompetence, obstruction, dirty tricks, electoral 'grooming', ignorance, denial, malice, cronyism, suppression, arrogance, corporatism and evangelism .. hardly the attributes a voter expects from those elected as public servants and stewards of the land.

Infamy is the just dessert earned by Stephen Harper, Joe Oliver, Peter Kent and Keith Ashfield. Collectively they've attacked the Canadian landscape & environment via subversion of common sense, democracy and the needs and wishes of the people.. at the behest of unelected energy corporations.

They've had plenty of help from Jim Flaherty, Tony Clement, John Baird, Gail Shea, Jason Kenney, Juiian Fantino, Peter Mackay, Peter Van Loan.. and thugs like Jenni Byrne, Ray Novak, Fred de Lorey, Arthur Hamilton, Bruce Carson, Tom Flanagan, Senator Finley, Guy Giorno et al .. not to mention a cowardly set of MP's willing to go along to get along.

The spokespersons, aides, parliamentary secretaries, lawyers et al deserve solid mention and identification for their complicity in the disaster this government is for Canada.. the PMO as well, and every data geek, robocaller, troll hiding in the background.

Joe Oliver will never run again, far too toxic, too liable, along with Kent and Ashfield. Look for an ‘anointed one’ to slither from the tailings ponds or a safe riding and take over an ‘uber ministry’ with Resources, Environment and Fisheries & Oceans all rolled into The Ministry of Wealth and Peaceful Energy and Inimical Paramouncy For China.

Re: Til Debt Do Us Part: Reality Television and Poverty

Persistent Cat — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:10:26 -0000

I watch this show and Gail's other show Princess. These people are bad with money and sign up for a reality show. She doesn't coddle these people and tell them what they want to hear, she calls them out on their nonsense. The word "shame" is thrown at people who are sometimes just being honest.

As for your main point about watching her deal with very poor people, that would be interesting but not entertaining. It's a tv show. I'd watch a documentary-style show about financial responsibility for those with low incomes and I'll watch a recurring tv show about middle class people spending like there's no tomorrow. But I wouldn't watch a recurring tv show with such depressing subject matter.

Re: You Have No Rights – Because you are Breaking the Law Right Now

delafield44 — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:29:32 -0000

This all reminds me of the book: "Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent," by Harvey Silverglate. In one particularly interesting post, Silverglate explains that the Feds not only can charge you with something, but they often take away all your assets so you can't even defend yourself: http://www.forbes.com/sites...

It all reminds me of the Megaupload and Kim Dotcom case: these tactics (seizing property) are being used in criminal copyright cases now.

Re: You Have No Rights – Because you are Breaking the Law Right Now

beltzner — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:21:57 -0000

I am reminded of Larry Lessig's point that this sort of legal framework ends up being seen as an "ass which must be ignored."

Re: How Car2Go ruins Car2Go

John — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:47:17 -0000

You're an idiot. You can't remember a password therefore its a lousy service? Give me a break. There are multiple secure ways to store that information, in your phone, online, or on a desktop.

Re: How Car2Go ruins Car2Go

Stephen Rees — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:31:53 -0000

I have an old fashioned smart phone made by Nokia so the app I use is different from the one on iPhone. I have to say that until i found Carthago, my experience was similar to yours - there was no booking using my phone. Is it possible that there is more than one iPhone app for car2go? By the way, booking holds the car for 30 minutes, not 15.

Is there a way to keep your password in a note book app on an iPhone?

Car2Go is getting steadily less convenient as more people use it - just like Velib in Paris. The more popular the service the more likely there is either no car near you - or far too many, so there is nowhere to park it. A book of bus tickets is an essential back up system.

Also bear in mind that Car2Go do not develop phone apps - that is done by other enthusiasts/entrepreneurs.

Re: Uber in Vancouver: Some Thoughts for the Passenger Transportation Board

J Broadway — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:52:04 -0000

The PT board did not refuse Uber a PT license, it shut them down for operating without one, and without a PT license and appropriate insurance for a vehicle for hire, Uber was acting irresponsibly and illegally.

Re: How Car2Go ruins Car2Go

Richard — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:43:59 -0000

The C2G app supports reservation. http://coffeeshopped.com/c2...

Re: How Car2Go ruins Car2Go

cathy — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:57:52 -0000

I have 2 current issues with C2G:
use a blackberry - no app at all with reservations capability.
a general decline in the number of cars that are located close by, over time, as the service area expands