Waterloo

Captain Clement Swetenham, 16th Light Dragoons, fought at Waterloo. His great-great-great grandson Foster Swetenham has posted more information and photos of his portrait, his Waterloo and Peninsula medals and his charger Mask.

 

100 years ago (2)

On 27 October, 1914, Lieutenant Edmund Swetenham of the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry was killed by a sniper in the trenches near Armentières. According to the battalion's War Diary, he had joined the battalion with the third reinforcement of 12 officers and 98 NCOs and men on the previous day, 26 October. He had been a regular officer in the regiment since April 1910 when he left Sandhurst.

100 years ago

Major Foster Swetenham (Royal Scots Greys) killed in action at Moÿ-de-l'Aisne on 28 August 1914 during the retreat from Mons, in the same action as the charge of the 12th Lancers. Buried at Moÿ-de-l'Aisne. A commemoration took place at Moÿ on 28 August 2014, during which a memorial to the British cavalrymen was unveiled. British Forces News. Coverage by BBC East Midlands Today.

Foster Swetenham was born on the 21st June, 1876, the son of Edmund Swetenham, Q.C., M.P. for Carnarvon Burghs, of Cam-yr-Alyn, Rossett, Denbighshire, and grandson of Clement Swetenham, of Somerford Booths, Congleton, Cheshire. He left a widow, Muriel Gladys née Chaplin and two sons, John Edmund, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, DSO, Brigadier, Colonel Royal Scots Greys, and Anthony Clement.

EU - Public consultation on the review of the EU copyright rules

The Euopean Commission has lauched a public consultation on the review of the EU copyright rules. All stakeholders are welcome to contribute to this consultation. Contributions are particularly sought from consumers, users, authors, performers, publishers, producers, broadcasters, intermediaries, distributors and other service providers, Collective Management Organisations, public authorities and Member States.

Open data and German coalition agreement - a step forward

The new German coalition agreement- all 185 pages – is available online. It is currently being voted on by SPD members. It includes a number of references to open data which constitute a step forward in the degree of visibility and political commitment at federal level in Germany:

• Public sector data – p. 153
  
  The first open data projects in Germany demonstrate the potential of open data. The Federal administration with all its agencies must be a pioneer, on the basis of a law, for the provision of open data in standardized machine-readable formats and under free licence conditions. We want to provide an open data portal for federal, state and local governments. The coalition seeks to achieve Germany's accession to the international Open Government Partnership initiative.
  
  
• Scientific information – p. 134
  
  We will develop a comprehensive open access strategy that improves the general conditions for an effective and permanent access to publicly funded publications and also to data (open data)
  
  
• Transport data – p.44
  
  Our goal is a sustainable mobility culture and a user-friendly network of different modes of transport. We encourage multi-modal data platforms on an open-data basis containing information on mobility services, congestion, delays and schedule data. With the networking of transport information and ticketing systems people can be provided with innovative digital mobility services.
  
  
• Bundestag proceedings – p. 152
  
  We want to expand digital coverage of the Bundestag and its meetings and of committee meetings and public hearings (e.g. by streaming). As soon as possible we will provide publications such as printed materials and minutes in open-data compatible formats under free licence conditions.

EU - Commission urges industry to deliver innovative solutions for greater access to online content

(RAPID)
 The European Commission has adopted a Communication which sets out parallel tracks of action to be undertaken during this Commission's term of office to ensure that the EU's copyright framework stays fit for purpose in the digital environment. It follows the Commission's orientation debate on content in the digital economy held on 5 December 2012 on the initiative of Commission President José Manuel Barroso. A structured stakeholder dialogue, jointly led by Commissioners Michel Barnier (Internal Market and Services), Neelie Kroes (Digital Agenda) and Androulla Vassiliou (Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth), will be launched in 2013 to seek to deliver rapid progress in four areas through practical industry-led solutions.These areas are cross-border access and the portability of services; user-generated content and licensing for small-scale users of protected material; facilitating the deposit and online accessibility of films in the EU; and promoting efficient text and data mining for scientific research purposes.

UK - Report: ESDS generates value for money

(ESDS)
An economic evaluation of the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) reveals that for every pound currently invested in data and infrastructure, the service returns £5.40 in net economic value to users and other stakeholders. This compares favourably with the return on investment previously demonstrated for the British Library and for UK academic libraries in general. Spotted by Peter Suber.

Creative Commons seeks opinions on first overhaul of licences in five years

The Creative Commons has invited comments on a new draft of its revised core licences, ahead of their finalisation at the end of the year. Creative Commons (CC) licences provide an alternative to standard copyright for those who want to encourage others to freely share their work, under certain conditions. Version 3.0 has been in place for five years now, and the Commons is trying to boost uptake by making the licences more flexible, more easily internationalised and easier to understand. One of the key changes being made is in the way CC-protected content must be attributed to the creator, and the way in which the license conditions are displayed.

2012-09-26 UK - Cambridge Open Data Conference 'Local and National Government Open Data across Europe'

(Project website)
The Opening Up project (supported by the European Regional Development Fund, North Sea Region Programme) are organising an Open Data Conference on Wednesday 26th September 2012 in Cambridge. The day will show you how local governments across Europe are working with open data, what their experiences are and what challenges they see for the future. We have some well-known speakers (including Andrew Stott and the Open Knowledge Foundation) from the UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Norway. Additionally, there will be break-out sessions and a where the best practices will be shown and discussed and a marketplace of ideas where presenters and attendees show their projects and discuss ideas. Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 09:00 to 17:00. Venue: The Upper Hall, Jesus College, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BL

EU - Impact Assessment on access to and preservation of scientific information

(Eur-Lex)
Commission staff working document accompanying the Recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information (Impact Assessment) ( 738KB)

Linked Open Government Data

(IEEE Intelligent Systems)
by Li Ding, Vassilios Peristeras, Michael Hausenblas. This article first reports a community consensus on the architecture of the linked open government data ecosystem, then reviews the key technologies reported by works included in this special issue, and finally concludes with three grand challenges towards opening, linking, and reusing government data. Spotted by Stefano Bertolo.

EU - Commission launches innovation partnership for Smart Cities and Communities

(RAPID)
One of the greatest challenges facing the EU is how best to design and adapt cities into smart intelligent and sustainable environments. Almost three quarters of Europeans live in cities, consuming 70% of the EU's energy. Congestion costs Europe about 1% of its GDP every year; most of it is located in urban areas. Smart urban technologies can make a major contribution to tackling many urban challenges. By launching a Smart Cities and Communities European Innovation Partnership (SCC) the European Commission aims to boost the development of smart technologies in cities – by pooling research resources from energy, transport and ICT and concentrating them on a small number of demonstration projects which will be implemented in partnership with cities. For 2013 alone, € 365 million in EU funds have been earmarked for the demonstration of these types of urban technology solutions. The transport, energy and ICT services and value chains are also now converging. The EU has many years of experience promoting and implementing urban projects in transport, energy and information technology, those efforts need also to converge to create "new thinking" across sectors. See Communication. See also speech by Neelie Kroes. "First, we need interoperability to help competition and new ideas ... Second, we must make the most of data. For example, the data we already have from smart meters. If third parties can access it – transparently and openly, without breaching privacy – that will be a great start. To fuel new innovations and help tailor new systems for end users. Third, the ICT sector must further work to reduce its own environmental footprint ... And fourth, absolutely essential to smart cities, are fast broadband networks for all."

EU - Open data as a key element to Smart Transport

(Press Release)
EU Ministers of Transport and Telecommunications widely acknowledged the enormous economic and social potential of opening up public data for re-use and especially in the case of transport data, as it could be a source for innovative products and services and a real engine for economic growth and job creation. "Transport data is of great commercial value and offers plenty of potential for re-use. This re-use on transport data can significantly contribute in making transport more efficient and reliable", the Minister of Communications and Works of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Efthymios Flourentzou underlined. During the informal meeting, ministers also decided to push for the development of a pan-European Open Data Portal and agreed to incorporate their own national open datasets. "The development of a pan-European Open Data Portal will contribute to the establishment of new and innovative services for the European society, which will make access to data from across Europe much easier,"Mr Flourentzou emphasised. The Cyprus Presidency, along with the EU ministers, also stressed the fundamental role that data plays in developing and providing related Intelligent Transport Services (ITS) and highlighted the need of ensuring the availability of, and accessibility to this data. "By acknowledging that open data is the oil of the digital age, we have to make sure that open data can actually fuel to the expectable extent and even beyond such important initiatives like Smart Transport", the Vice President of the European Commission Mr Siim Kallas underlined. Ministers invited the Commission to jointly explore ways to improve access and re-use of transport data. See also Presidency conclusions.

EU - Communication and Recommendation on scientific information

The European Commission has outlined measures to improve access to scientific information produced in Europe. Broader and more rapid access to scientific papers and data will make it easier for researchers and businesses to build on the findings of public-funded research. Communication Towards better access to scientific information: Boosting the benefits of public investments in research COM(2012) 401 final. Commission Recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information C(2012) 4890 final. Executive summary of Impact Assessment. See also: Memo: Open access to scientific data – Communication and Recommendation – background.

FR -Données publiques payantes : certaines administrations restent encore loin de l’OpenData

(RegardsCitoyens)
La liste officielle des données « publiques » de l’État restant payantes, c’est-à-dire complètement en dehors de tout cadre OpenData, a finalement été publiée. Conformément au décret du 26 mai 2011 relatif à la réutilisation des informations publiques détenues par l’État et ses établissements publics administratifs, la mission « Étalab » a publié le 29 juin 2012 sur data.gouv.fr la fameuse liste des redevances de réutilisation d’informations publiques établies antérieurement au 1er juillet 2011. Les données recensées dans cette liste sont donc amenées à rester payantes, sauf en cas de nouveaux décrets spécifiques du Premier Ministre. Mais le texte précise en contrepartie que, à défaut d’inscription des données concernées sur cette liste avant le 1er juillet 2012, les redevances instituées deviennent caduques : on pouvait ainsi espérer incidemment la libération de certaines données publiques. Rien ne semble toutefois avoir été laissé au hasard et la liste, qui semble exhaustive, révèle quelques surprises et beaucoup de déceptions. Nous avons compilé toutes ces informations pour permettre à chacun de mieux les étudier dans leur intégralité (télécharger les données CSV).