Taking back the Big Society

Taking back the Big Society

Ask people what they think the words Big Society mean and I’m sure a lot will say something along the lines of ‘David Cameron’s plan for people to work for nothing, in libraries for example. Sorry Prime Minister but some of us we’re using the term Big Society well before you jumped on the bandwagon and hijacked the term.

To me Big Society is just a collective term for when people help each other, I think all Open Data falls into the big society. I’m pushing out data which help other people in their lives. I help you, you help him and he helps her and so on. Society as a whole benefits.

I’ve just completed a small project for someone who I hardly know, never met but he wanted something for his website. A website that I use, so I though I’d give something back and help him out.

He had an access database of aircraft movements at Mildenhall and Lakenheath Air Force bases which he wanted to have on his website and for people to search it. He did have a trail with one company which wanted to charge his a lot of money to host one database. More than double what my hosting company charges for all my hosting needs.

So I have written a little script so he can upload his files to my server. I’ve also written a cheap and cheerful search facility and make it look something like his own website so it sort of blends in with it.

Finished it a couple of days ago, sent him an e-mail about it and he replied saying how grateful he was and he thought what I have done was superb.

Mr Cameron for me that is Big Society at work. Not people working somewhere for free but simply someone, i.e. me, helping someone else out, who in turn is trying to do something to help other people out via his website. .