Tag: codethecity

CTC9 – Sunday Morning

What a beautiful sunny morning for making my way over to CTC9 HQ. It’s a slow start today. Hey, it’s Sunday…

Since we didn’t have a close-out meeting last night, we caught up with everybody’s progress in a kick-off meeting this morning. Make sure to read the update from yesterday afternoon beforehand.

Team: ALISS API

Geek MuffinThe data is flowing! We now have access to all 3 data sources: ALISS, GCD and MILO. MILO too? Yes! As it turns computing student Mikko has been working on hooking up MILO to the project as part of Team ALISS API.

Linking up GCD encountered a stumbling block after the initial success because the WiFi network ended up blocking the website used for our API. By the sounds of it, this is in hand though.

screenshot demoNow that we are connected to all databases, they are being combined by matching titles, identifying duplicates etc. The result will provide access to searchable data from all sources via one URL. James has already launched a temporary live demo page that connects to the databases. The first rough draft is based on story boards James designed with input from the user-focused teams last night. The website is currently at an early stage; so some buttons will work, some won’t. Feel free to rummage around.

There is also a shared file repository on github. It harbours user interface code, the backend REST API and photos from our brain storming sessions.

The next big goal is to develop the visual interface further to make search results visible to the website user. At the moment results appear only in code. The team also suggested that functionalities for location-based search and prioritising search results will require more development.

Sunday team photo

Team: Soul Cats

Teams Stripy Tops and Access All Areas have merged under the new name ‘Soul Cats’ (inspired by a T-shirt). This move made sense because both have been targeting user groups – the professional user (Stripy Tops) and the public (Access All Areas) – and now felt that their paths were converging.

The teams have drawn up more specific suggestions on user requirements based on the needs of different target groups. It’s quite impressive how yesterday’s wide-roaming discussions are now funneling into concrete scenarios and solutions. The obvious conclusion is to make the web interface simple – clear language, natural keywords, self-evident icons, sensible menu structure etc.

There was some discussion around: user cases

  • options for geo-location of service providers relative to user addresses
  • including info on mobility/access issues e.g. stairs
  • including info on parking, public and community transport connections
  • including photos of the service location, exteriors and interiors, so that people easily recognise the place once there

The next steps will involve working closer with our coders and coming up with names for the page, categories etc.

Code The City 9 – It’s on!

We kicked off the ‘Code The City 9 – Health Signposting’ weekend this morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. There are just under 20 attendees from mixed backgrounds.

We have volunteered to help solve issues around health care data. One problem is that health care data are currently maintained in (at least) three unconnected systems run by different organisations. These are ALISS, GCD (Grampian CareData) and MILO. The ultimate goal of this project is to create an open data source that provides accessible up-to-date information to the public and professionals.

Continue reading Code The City 9 – It’s on!

History Jam – #CTC6

The History Jam (or Code The City #6 if you are counting) will take place on 19-20 March 2016 at Aberdeen University. You can get one of the remaining tickets here.

As an participant, you’ll be bringing history to life, creating a 3D virtual reality map of a square mile of Aberdeen’s city centre. You’ll be gathering data from a variety of historical sources, transcribing that and creating new open data. You’ll import that into the the 3D model.
And there will also be the opportunity to re-use that data in imaginative new ways. So, if you are a MineCraft fan, why not use the data to start building Minecraft Aberdeen.
This is not one of our usual hacks, whatever that is! This time around instead of you proposing problems to be worked on, we’ve set the agenda, we’ll help form the teams, and provide you with more guidance and support.
If you come along you’ll learn open data skills. And you’ll get a year’s free membership of the Open Data Institute!

Saturday’s Running Order

09:00 Arrive in time for fruit juices, coffee, pastries, or a rowie.

09:30 Introduction to the day
09:45 Briefing of teams and, if you are new to Open Data, a quick training session

10:15 Split into three streams:

  • Sourcing and curation of data, and structuring capture mechanisms
  • Transcribing,  cleaning, and  publishing open data
  • Creating the 3D map, importing and visualising the data

CTC-6-Flow1

Throughout the day we’ll have feedback sessions, presenting back to the room on progress. We’ll write blog posts, create videos, photograph progress.

13:00 Lunch (the best sandwiches in Aberdeen)

More workstream sessions with feedback and questions.

17:30 (or so) Pizza and a drink

We’ll wind up about 8pm or so if you can stay until then

Sunday’s Agenda

09:30 arrive for breakfast

10:00 kick off

Morning sessions

12:30 Lunch

Afternoon sessions

16:00 Show and Tell sessions – demonstrate to the room, and a wider audience, and preserve for posterity what you’ve produced in less than 36 hours. You’ll be amazed!