Thanks for posting that @jeffc . For those who don’t know, the use-cases give six scenarios in which using a standard API brings advantages over using proprietary standards and static databases.
The use-cases are aimed at giving less technical people an understand of the benefits of the Open Referral UK API, although most cases apply to Open Referral (international) and API-based approaches in general.
Hi folks – just getting back after a month of travel, and put this on my list to follow up with some feedback.
Overall I really like this – easy to read web pages, a format we might consider implementing in the main site as well.
Two bits of feedback on the use cases themselves:
First, the “Automated checks to improve data quality” implies that the validator checks for accuracy, and more generally that the standard itself enables automated updates to information, which is not technically true. Could the standard be useful in building tools and processes that improve data quality? indirectly yes. But we have a lot of challenges getting the powers that be to understand that technology is not magic and data quality (accuracy especially) requires human labor. I’d hope to see materials that help people learn what it really takes to ensure reliable data at every phase, and for that purpose this could be improved.
Second, I think there’s a missing use case here that is implied by others but could be usefully stated directly: standardized data enables re-use of open source tools (like websites, apps, etc) that can be redeployed and adapted rather than rebuilt from scratch. Many such cases.