WhatDoTheyKnow[3][4] is a site by mySociety designed to help people in the United Kingdom make Freedom of Information requests. It publishes both the requests and the authorities’ responses online, with the aim of making information available to all, and of removing the need for multiple people to make the same requests.[5][6][7][8] The site acts as a permanent public database archive of FOI requests made through it.[9][10]
Around 15% to 20% of requests to UK Central Government are made through WhatDoTheyKnow.com.[11][12] Over 45,000 public bodies have been added to the site, mainly by volunteers.[3] More than 800,000 requests have been made using the site[3] and more than 4.5 million people visited it in 2014[13]
WhatDoTheyKnow has been described by The Guardian as "an idiot's guide to making a freedom of information request."[14] The Information Commissioner's Office has stated that it believes "the most up-to-date informal list of all public authorities is held on the website".[15] Information released through the site has given rise to serious and less serious news stories.[16][17][18] The site is used by a number of MPs.[19]
The site was originally available only in English but a partially translated Welsh version was added in 2013.[20]
Finances
In 2011, the site cost around £12,000 a year to run.[2] The server costs are partly sponsored[21] by Bytemark Hosting.
History
WhatDoTheyKnow started life as the winning idea for mySociety competition in 2006 for ideas for public interest websites to build.[22] Both Phil Rodgers and Francis Irving entered the idea of a site to make it easy to make Freedom of Information requests.[23] Francis Irving later became the main developer of the site,[24] which was launched in 2008.[25]
WhatDoTheyKnow volunteer Alex Skene gave evidence to Justice Committee related to Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on 21 February 2012.[29]
As with other mySociety citizen-to-government software, mySociety sells WhatDoTheyKnow as a service for councils. In April 2012, Brighton and Hove councillor Jason Kitkat announced: “We [the council] are working with mySociety to adapt their WhatDoTheyKnow system to support a better workflow for freedom of information requests and proactive publishing of everything we release." [30]
WhatDoTheyKnow was developed as open-source software. It now runs on the Alaveteli platform, which is itself an adaptation of the original code written to power WhatDoTheyKnow. Alaveteli was developed to make easier the process of setting up a site like WhatDoTheyKnow in other countries.
^Government; Police; Australia; Home Office; Censorship; Lies, damn lies and election polls: Why GE2015 pundits fluffed the numbers so badly; us?, What does the NHS’s new IT plan really want to extract from; riots, CPS grovels after leaking IDs of hundreds arrested during student. "Government wastes millions on redundant cycle route planner". The Register.
^Morris, Steven (2011-07-07). "When zombies attack! Bristol city council ready for undead invasion". The Guardian. London.
^WhatDoTheyKnow Beats Parliamentary Question, mySociety, November 2009
^WhatDoTheyKnow now 6% in Welsh, WhatDoTheyKnow blog, 16 January 2013
^"Migrating to Bytemark (who rock) / mySociety". 22 October 2012.
^"The mySociety Call for Proposals: The winner and runners up / mySociety". 27 September 2006.
^"Brighton and Hove Green chief eyes open goal". 17 April 2012.
March 08, 2023
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For the Westlife song see Turnaround Westlife album WhatDoTheyKnow 3 4 is a site by mySociety designed to help people in the United Kingdom make Freedom of Information requests It publishes both the requests and the authorities responses online with the aim of making information available to all and of removing the need for multiple people to make the same requests 5 6 7 8 The site acts as a permanent public database archive of FOI requests made through it 9 10 WhatDoTheyKnowType of siteFreedom of Information websiteOwnermySocietyCreated byUser generated Public Authority generatedURLWhatDoTheyKnow comCommercialNoRegistrationOptionalLaunched25 February 2008 15 years ago 2008 02 25 1 2 Current statusActiveAround 15 to 20 of requests to UK Central Government are made through WhatDoTheyKnow com 11 12 Over 45 000 public bodies have been added to the site mainly by volunteers 3 More than 800 000 requests have been made using the site 3 and more than 4 5 million people visited it in 2014 13 WhatDoTheyKnow has been described by The Guardian as an idiot s guide to making a freedom of information request 14 The Information Commissioner s Office has stated that it believes the most up to date informal list of all public authorities is held on the website 15 Information released through the site has given rise to serious and less serious news stories 16 17 18 The site is used by a number of MPs 19 The site was originally available only in English but a partially translated Welsh version was added in 2013 20 Finances EditIn 2011 the site cost around 12 000 a year to run 2 The server costs are partly sponsored 21 by Bytemark Hosting History EditWhatDoTheyKnow started life as the winning idea for mySociety competition in 2006 for ideas for public interest websites to build 22 Both Phil Rodgers and Francis Irving entered the idea of a site to make it easy to make Freedom of Information requests 23 Francis Irving later became the main developer of the site 24 which was launched in 2008 25 The site was nominated for a number of awards Daily Telegraph best green websites ranked number 2 26 New Media Awards Democracy in Action Finalists 2008 27 New Media Awards Innovation Winner 2008 28 WhatDoTheyKnow volunteer Alex Skene gave evidence to Justice Committee related to Post Legislative Scrutiny of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on 21 February 2012 29 As with other mySociety citizen to government software mySociety sells WhatDoTheyKnow as a service for councils In April 2012 Brighton and Hove councillor Jason Kitkat announced We the council are working with mySociety to adapt their WhatDoTheyKnow system to support a better workflow for freedom of information requests and proactive publishing of everything we release 30 WhatDoTheyKnow was developed as open source software It now runs on the Alaveteli platform which is itself an adaptation of the original code written to power WhatDoTheyKnow Alaveteli was developed to make easier the process of setting up a site like WhatDoTheyKnow in other countries References Edit WhatDoTheyKnow com WHOIS DNS amp Domain Info DomainTools WHOIS Retrieved 2016 08 09 a b WriteToThem research report year 2011 Tobias Escher a b c Whatdotheyknow com MacLeod Michael October 19 2010 Bookmarked Michael Traill s online soapbox The Guardian London Information revolution New Statesman Becky Hogg 2008 Foi tips for communications professionals Information Commissioner Victory for WhatDoTheyKnow BBC website Local by Social Andy Gibson Whitelaw Ben 5 August 2011 ICO Twitter advice fuels open data drive TheGuardian com Rogers Simon 2012 03 20 Freedom of Information an FoI request for every day of 2012 listed The Guardian London Alex Skene 1 July 2011 WhatDoTheyKnow s Share of Central Government FOI Requests Q2 2011 mySociety Retrieved 19 April 2020 Freedom of Information 30 Jan 2012 Hansard Written Answers TheyWorkForYou Are you one in 6 983 028 Looking at our UK visitor numbers mySociety 11 May 2015 No Minister Keep skunks out of Whitehall Guardian Dick Vinegar Information Commissioner s Office response IRQ0365760 Child Trust Funds families count cost of child benefit delay Telegraph Government Police Australia Home Office Censorship Lies damn lies and election polls Why GE2015 pundits fluffed the numbers so badly us What does the NHS s new IT plan really want to extract from riots CPS grovels after leaking IDs of hundreds arrested during student Government wastes millions on redundant cycle route planner The Register Morris Steven 2011 07 07 When zombies attack Bristol city council ready for undead invasion The Guardian London WhatDoTheyKnow Beats Parliamentary Question mySociety November 2009 WhatDoTheyKnow now 6 in Welsh WhatDoTheyKnow blog 16 January 2013 Migrating to Bytemark who rock mySociety 22 October 2012 The mySociety Call for Proposals The winner and runners up mySociety 27 September 2006 About mySociety s Freedom of Information site goes live mySociety 22 February 2008 News mySociety The Daily Telegraph archived http www newstatesman com nma nma2008 finalists08 archived New Media Awards 2009 Winners Archived from the original on 2011 11 13 Retrieved 2011 07 24 WhatDoTheyKnow Who s Lobbying Brighton and Hove Green chief eyes open goal 17 April 2012 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title WhatDoTheyKnow amp oldid 1105666962, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
