[corp-watchers] Help CorpWatch Win NetSquared Mashup Challenge Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:51:33 -0600 (CST) WHAT'S NEW ON CORPWATCH Holding Corporations Accountable << http://www.corpwatch.org >> Greetings CorpWatch subscribers! Tracking corporations is very hard b not least because a lot of valuable information is locked away in government databases that only computer experts and financial wizards understand. CorpWatch has a plan to get this data into everyonebs hands in a way that could be extremely useful for activists (such as you!) who want to challenge corporate malfeasance! For this, we need your help, because developing the software is an expensive and time consuming process. And the easiest way to do this is to just point and click (You can also give us money, but this opportunity is free!). You see, a group called NetSquared is offering free software design by activist programmers, and we have submitted a proposal that we need you to vote for! The Mashup Challenge is a chance for nonprofits to get help from the Open Source and Free Software communities to create a "mashup" that integrates a number of data sources into a web-based tool to promote social justice. We are proposing to create a pilot project that would use the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissionbs EDGAR database, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory, and other such governmental sources of corporate information to create a visual mapping of corporate relationships for our corporate accountability Wiki: Crocodyl.org. Herebs an example of how it would work. For example, parent company/subsidiary relationships are often hidden away in obscure government databases, and it takes an investigative reporter to extract and make sense of them so that we can find out who really owns the companies that are abusing environmental and human rights. Similarly the "supply chains" describe the process of how natural resources like timber or oil are bought and sold, and eventually turned into consumer products, but it can be difficult for the average person to understand how they work. Our software would take this data from government databases and other public domain sources, sort it, and illustrate the linkages in a user friendly visual map. The best part of this is that if we win, we would be collaborating with the community of Open Source and Free Software developers, such as the NetSquared network. Even better, this means that when we develop this great tool, we will automatically offer it to everyone who wants the software for free so that other nonprofits, activists and community groups can use them. This is just the preliminary round, official voting starts on March 17, so please take a look at our contest entry and give us your thoughts! http://tinyurl.com/2z5f4v Click on the star on the top of this page to show your support, and write your comments on the bottom of the page with your suggestions or ideas by clicking "reply." We want to involve our readers and supporters in this process and value your feedback. Also, check out the NetSquared blog: http://tinyurl.com/2ktxhn We were the first entrants in the competition! If you have a blog, are on any other email lists, or know people who would be interested in this important work, please talk us up! Helping us to democratize information by building this visualization tool is a great way to support CorpWatch's work. Thanks! Ian Elwood Corporate Wiki Project Manager tel: 510-271-8080 cell: 415-994-6877 email: ian@corpwatch.org Check out our corporate malfeasance Wiki! http://www.crocodyl.org __________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: corp-watchers@lists.corpwatch.org To be removed from the list, send any message to: corp-watchers-unsubscribe@lists.corpwatch.org For all list information and functions, including changing your subscription mode and options, visit the Web page: http://lists.corpwatch.org/lists/info/corp-watchers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- CorpWatch -- Holding Corporations Accountable 1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite 720 Oakland, CA 94612 USA Tel: 510-271-8080 Fax: 510-271-8083 URL: http://www.corpwatch.org Also check out http://www.warprofiteers.com! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-