The end of government services
Catchy headline huh!? Inspired by: Plug pulled on government direct? Interesting that TD's service preceded those that came after and now it is being retired. Open data and entrepreneurs with similar services being credited with driving this decision. Now, look around, and what do you see - on the one hand myriads of existing commercial (or at least not funded by government) services of one kind of another built on open and not so open data; on the other government funds pouring into institutes and organisations to create free to air and paid for services based on those same data combos. And in many cases these new services replicate what is already in the market. For a government so wedded to the market model therein lies a tension, as the TD announcement so clearly illustrates. What gives you might ask! I for one would hope that other arms of government will follow the TD example!