News
The Promise of Computational Journalism
LobbyLens was mentioned in a paper about Computational Journalism (the application of computer science techniques to the activities of journalism).
Posted on 16 Feb 2011 by LobbyLens team
"As a political disinfectant, silicon beats sunlight hands down."
As Congress complies with the clear demands of transparency, and as coders devise better and more efficient ways to mash-up the data that Congress provides, we will see a future more and more inundated with claims about the links between money and results. Every step will have a plausible tie to troubling influence. Every tie will be reported. We will know everything there is to know about at least the publicly recordable events that might be influencing those who regulate us. The panopticon will have been turned upon the rulers.
Lessig 2009, Against Transparency
Posted on 06 Jul 2010 by LobbyLens team
Ways to improve the Australian Lobbyist Registers
- Standard export format such as the XLSX file that the Federal Register provided to data.australia.gov.au
- Creative Commons licence
- List clients as full business/trading names with ABNs where available to avoid confusion
For example, there is a lobbyist client called "D'Orsogna". D'Orsogna is both the name of a national gourmet foods company and the business name of a shop trading as "Benny's Gelati" in Perth.
- Mark international clients as such, list with Dun and Bradstreet DUNS Number
- Ensure that owners are not obfuscated through holding companies/sole trader companies
- Be consistent about how long former clients/lobbyists appear
- Refuse applications that place inappropriate text in fields (such as asserting that they have a pro bono relationship with clients)
- Streamline for national lobbying firms so they don't simply duplicate
- Better screening of client names that are addresses, "N/A" etc.
- Creative Commons licence
- List clients as full business/trading names with ABNs where available to avoid confusion
For example, there is a lobbyist client called "D'Orsogna". D'Orsogna is both the name of a national gourmet foods company and the business name of a shop trading as "Benny's Gelati" in Perth.
- Mark international clients as such, list with Dun and Bradstreet DUNS Number
- Ensure that owners are not obfuscated through holding companies/sole trader companies
- Be consistent about how long former clients/lobbyists appear
- Refuse applications that place inappropriate text in fields (such as asserting that they have a pro bono relationship with clients)
- Streamline for national lobbying firms so they don't simply duplicate
- Better screening of client names that are addresses, "N/A" etc.
Posted on 16 Dec 2009 by LobbyLens team
LobbyLens wins 3rd place in MashupAustralia competition
Congradulations to all the winners and all those who entered and supported the mashups!
Posted on 14 Dec 2009 by LobbyLens team
Content Management Powered by CuteNews