Comments on: The World Bank’s web of data could be webbier http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/ Strategies for Internet citizens Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:48:27 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Jonathan http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-127349 Jonathan Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:34:39 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-127349 Does anyone know of a data dump of these static data available in SQL or some other format? I don't have the skills to develop a web ap, but I can play with SQL or other db applications to give me 'access' - pun intended. Does anyone know of a data dump of these static data available in SQL or some other format? I don’t have the skills to develop a web ap, but I can play with SQL or other db applications to give me ‘access’ – pun intended.

]]> By: WSDAC#19 - Architecture Resource - Service Endpoint http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125322 WSDAC#19 - Architecture Resource - Service Endpoint Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:53:14 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125322 [...] Udell - On the RESTful access to the World Bank’s data the web of [...] [...] Udell – On the RESTful access to the World Bank’s data the web of [...]

]]> By: The World Bank Opens API to Key Global Data http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125274 The World Bank Opens API to Key Global Data Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:00:16 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125274 [...] In total, the API offers 114 indicators. Jon Udell catalogs the list of indicators in his recent post “World Bank data now available through APIs” (there’s also an interesting thread of discussion about REST API design and how the World Bank API could be more RESTful from Stefan Tilkov and Jon Udell). [...] [...] In total, the API offers 114 indicators. Jon Udell catalogs the list of indicators in his recent post “World Bank data now available through APIs” (there’s also an interesting thread of discussion about REST API design and how the World Bank API could be more RESTful from Stefan Tilkov and Jon Udell). [...]

]]> By: Ken Cowan http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125273 Ken Cowan Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:00:12 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125273 Hi Jon, More important than the specifics of the Bank, is the concept of an API enabling you to navigate a web of data. It's a key point I hadn't seen before. Thanks for the insight! KC Hi Jon,

More important than the specifics of the Bank, is the concept of an API enabling you to navigate a web of data. It’s a key point I hadn’t seen before. Thanks for the insight!

KC

]]> By: PG http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125272 PG Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:58:40 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125272 Hi folks, I am the one behind this API, not as a developer but as a "business" guy (i hate the term). I have since moved on to a new job but, in defense of the Bank wanted to let you know that this was done quickly, with little resources and that it is very much a work in progress. The bulk of the work went into aggregating the various DB, coming up with a sound database structure etc...the feedback in this thread on how to make it more useful is definitely helpful and am sure my former colleagues at the bank will take it into account. PG Hi folks,

I am the one behind this API, not as a developer but as a “business” guy (i hate the term). I have since moved on to a new job but, in defense of the Bank wanted to let you know that this was done quickly, with little resources and that it is very much a work in progress. The bulk of the work went into aggregating the various DB, coming up with a sound database structure etc…the feedback in this thread on how to make it more useful is definitely helpful and am sure my former colleagues at the bank will take it into account.

PG

]]> By: Reed Hedges http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125259 Reed Hedges Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:18:21 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125259 It's not neccesarily about REST, it's about the usual lazy WWW practice of exposing your implementation details ("rest.php") in the interface. Now everyone is screwed when they reimplement it using something other than a PHP script that happens to live in a file on the webserver called "rest.php". It’s not neccesarily about REST, it’s about the usual lazy WWW practice of exposing your implementation details (“rest.php”) in the interface. Now everyone is screwed when they reimplement it using something other than a PHP script that happens to live in a file on the webserver called “rest.php”.

]]> By: Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125254 Jon Udell Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:37:35 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125254 > Maybe the only use of this REST API is to > download all the data and stick it into a > SQL database ;-) Although, it might be a good candidate for an Astoria-like (ADO.NET Data Services) treatment, with navigable/queryable projections of indicators and countries. > Maybe the only use of this REST API is to
> download all the data and stick it into a
> SQL database ;-)

Although, it might be a good candidate for an Astoria-like (ADO.NET Data Services) treatment, with navigable/queryable projections of indicators and countries.

]]> By: Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125253 Jon Udell Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:31:02 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125253 > Do we really need a REST web service to > static data when we already have a good > query and mining language? I had the same thought, particularly given that there's not a huge volume of data here. An all-in-one dump would suit me just fine, as an adjunct to the API calls. If the data were volatile you might rather let the API serve the freshest, but this doesn't seem to be volatile stuff. It does seem that creating an API often boils down to cloning what somebody else did, without regard for the specifics of the case. But, this shouldn't come across as: "So we released our data, and all RESTafarians did was bitch and moan about the URI syntax." It needs to be clear that yes, we are grateful to have this access, and we can and will work with it, but just FYI there are some convenience issues in the packaging you might want to look into. > Do we really need a REST web service to
> static data when we already have a good
> query and mining language?

I had the same thought, particularly given that there’s not a huge volume of data here. An all-in-one dump would suit me just fine, as an adjunct to the API calls.

If the data were volatile you might rather let the API serve the freshest, but this doesn’t seem to be volatile stuff.

It does seem that creating an API often boils down to cloning what somebody else did, without regard for the specifics of the case.

But, this shouldn’t come across as: “So we released our data, and all RESTafarians did was bitch and moan about the URI syntax.”

It needs to be clear that yes, we are grateful to have this access, and we can and will work with it, but just FYI there are some convenience issues in the packaging you might want to look into.

]]> By: Chris http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125252 Chris Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:07:52 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125252 Amen Jon! Amen Jon!

]]> By: Stefan Tilkov http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125251 Stefan Tilkov Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:50:50 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125251 Once nice aspect of good URI design and a REST approach that deserves the name would be that you couldn't tell whether the data is kept statically, generated dynamically, or some arbitrary mixture. Once nice aspect of good URI design and a REST approach that deserves the name would be that you couldn’t tell whether the data is kept statically, generated dynamically, or some arbitrary mixture.

]]> By: Miguel de Icaza http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125250 Miguel de Icaza Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:46:37 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125250 Hello Jon, My friend Nat was wondering about this data the other day, and since this is all static data the question is: why was this data not published merely as a Sqlite database dump? Do we really need a REST web service to static data when we already have a good query and mining language? Maybe the only use of this REST API is to download all the data and stick it into a SQL database ;-) Hello Jon,

My friend Nat was wondering about this data the other day, and since this is all static data the question is: why was this data not published merely as a Sqlite database dump?

Do we really need a REST web service to static data when we already have a good query and mining language?

Maybe the only use of this REST API is to download all the data and stick it into a SQL database ;-)

]]> By: Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125246 Jon Udell Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:21:31 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125246 > It isn’t pedantry at all. Agreed. I'm just saying that criticism should be accompanied by a reminder of why the preferred way is preferred. > It isn’t pedantry at all.

Agreed. I’m just saying that criticism should be accompanied by a reminder of why the preferred way is preferred.

]]> By: Jack Hughes http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125245 Jack Hughes Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:05:40 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125245 Agree with you & Jamie. It isn't pedantry at all. It's a shame because with a pretty simple apache re-write I'm sure that the data could be presented in a much more discoverable & understandable way. They've done the hard work, all that was required was a bit of finesse on the presentation. Agree with you & Jamie. It isn’t pedantry at all. It’s a shame because with a pretty simple apache re-write I’m sure that the data could be presented in a much more discoverable & understandable way. They’ve done the hard work, all that was required was a bit of finesse on the presentation.

]]> By: Jamie Thomson http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/09/05/the-world-banks-web-of-data-could-be-webbier/#comment-125244 Jamie Thomson Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:07:56 +0000 http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=604#comment-125244 This is nothing to do with being pedantic. This is to do with following sensible principles laid down by sensible people. I'm stunned that people are still declaring services as RESTful when blatantly they are not. Acually no...I'm not stunned at all. I'm resigned to stupidity like this! This is nothing to do with being pedantic. This is to do with following sensible principles laid down by sensible people. I’m stunned that people are still declaring services as RESTful when blatantly they are not.
Acually no…I’m not stunned at all. I’m resigned to stupidity like this!

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