From Learon… I just spent about 30 minutes on http://broadbandmap.gov/ – Read on for a first look at this new effort from the Feds.
A great deal will likely be written about the National Broadband Map over the next few weeks. Developers and tech innovators will love it, and critics might pick it apart. Here are my initial thoughts – Wow. Kind of like what I thought the first time I saw Google Maps in 2005. Obviously the National Broadband Map won’t reach the same consumer audience, but I believe the FCC may have changed the game for visualizing data.
The site (for lack of a better term — it’s more than just a map) may well define what citizens, and decision makers come to expect of other government sites. Obviously only time will tell but consider these points.
1) Wicked fast (I was using Chrome)
2) Fairly simple yet deep in content
3) Open API’s that can be accessed in a variety of ways Hello-
http://www.broadbandmap.gov/developer (not that I am smart enough to use them, still important)
4) Open source components
5) Ability to download data in several ways
6) Did I mention wicked fast? This site is hitting national data sets with fast returns.
It will be interesting to see if other government executives begin asking for a national map like the National Broadband Map.
Read more at http://www.broadbandmap.gov/blog/1/hello-world/
