When he isn't helping concoct the world's most disgusting milkshake, Newsom finds time to write on the l'internet. (Aside: green tea milkshake with cocoa, Gavin? For reals? Look, your SFist editor is a lot like you in that the thought of digesting solids, at times, makes us want to hurl chuncks. But this sounds downright repugnant. We know you wanted the shake to reflect your eco-based campaign platform, in lieu of your alleged personality, but we sure hope it's not a sign of things to come, how you plan on thrusting green initiatives down California's throat. Anyway.)
See, San Francisco Mayor Newsom wrote a post about Datasf.org, "an initiative designed to increase access to city data," posting it over at TechCrunch. (TechCrunch, as some of you may recall, recently revealed confidential information about Twitter, Newsom's bestest e-friend, which resulted on all sorts of bruised Internet fame egos. Way to sleep with your best friend's enemy, Gav! We admire such ruthlessness.)
But back to DataSF.org: according to Newsom, it'll be a pretty nifty tool. Here's how he explains it.
The new web site will provide a clearinghouse of structured, raw and machine-readable government data to the public in an easily downloadable format. For example, there will be updated crime incident data from the police department and restaurant inspection data from the Department of Public Health. The initial phase of the web site includes more than 100 datasets, from a range of city departments, including Police, Public Works, and the Municipal Transportation Agency.
Newsom imagines developers using "apartment listings and city crime data and mashing it up to help renters find their next home or an iPhone application that shows restaurant ratings based on health code violations." He's keen on opening up info on his citizens, claiming that San Francisco's city's greatest resource is "our residents." So, yeah, there you have it.
Read more here.