In a March 2009 note to site-users Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, announced new tools with which, "…governments and other organizations—will share more information about what is happening with them."
In the wake of the 2008 election, the degree to which he was successful could be debated. Undeniably, websites like Facebook and Twitter afforded young, tech-savy voters access to politicians, and engagement in the process. Yet, I would debate if sites like Zuckerberg's help cut through an increasing glut of information or merely add to such digital noise in the name of transparency. Is the citizenry more connected and knowledgeable as to their governments actions? Or does social media afford another platform on which politicians can peddle talking points and share only the most beneficial information.
If then, social media is merely for sharing information, it should be no surprise that when creative individuals, like Andrew Odewahn, make sense of thousands of data points, such creations are shared widely (over 2,000 views on YouTube).
Andrew is fascinated by supposed coalitions that have developed in the Senate. He shows us how he used available govenment data from 1991-present to build his own data model.His 2009 comparison of U.S. Senators' voting records vividly debunk mainstream media's oft-propigated idea that the Senate is uniquely polarized at this point in history. See for yourself:
Odewahn is one of numerous designers and artists making sense of government data. GOOD.is (a self proclaimed "collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward," who operate an engaging blog and regular print magazine) publish a Transperency series. The regular illustrations make sense of vasts amount of (often government) data.
Designers and illustrators like, Serifcan, Design Language, Lamosca, NazSahin shed light on topics ranging from the relationship of education spending to graduation rates to the distance produce travels, and the effectiveness of NASA flights to the cleanliness of water.
These fun and engaging diagrams provide users with, as the series suggests, a transparent look at otherwise meaningless mounds of government data. If information continues current trends, we will place increasing value on the likes of GOOD, Andrew Odewahn and other creative individuals. It follows that our society will grow equally reliant on platforms like Facebook to deliver such work.
