Tag archive: Tom Watson

The UK could be set to make seven million people in its population criminals if it follows through on proposals to change the laws on illegal file-sharing. Among the measures that might be adopted are the severing of Internet connections for those suspected of illegal file-sharing (and not that suspected), as well as fines of £50,000 (around $75,000) for those found guilty. The person attempting to push all this through is business… Read More

There’s plenty of public information out there in the UK, and the government wanted people to do something positive with it. So they began a competition, Show Us A Better Way, offering a total of $125,000 in cash prizes and aid in development, for the best new sites creatively using that information. It attracted over 450 entrants, ranging from sites showing the nearest public toilet to one illustrating school catchment areas. But… Read More

It might seem unlikely, but it’s true. The British government, or, more specifically, the Power of Information Taskforce, has around $40,000 to give away to people who come up with the best new uses for public information in health, education and criminal justice, according to the BBC. And the government is releasing many gigabytes of information as encouragement – although none of it involves any personal details. What is… Read More