Those helpful people at Hacks/Hackers have let me set up a Hacks/Hackers group for Birmingham. This is basically a group of people interested in the journalistic (and, by extension, the civic) possibilities of data. If you’re at all interested in this and think you might want to meet up in the Midlands sometime, please join up.
I’ve also organised the first Hacks/Hackers meetup for Birmingham on Monday September 20, in Coffee Lounge from 1pm into the evening.
Our speaker will be Caroline Beavon, an experienced journalist who caught the data bug on my MA in Online Journalism (and whose experiences I felt would be accessible to most). In addition, NHS Local’s Carl Plant will be talking briefly about health data and Walsall Council’s Dan Slee about council data.
All are welcome and no technical or journalistic knowledge is required. I’m hoping we can pair techies with non-techies for some ad hoc learning.
If you want to come RSVP at the link.
PS: There’s also a Hacks/Hackers in London, and one being planned for Manchester, I’m told.
Online Journalism Blog 
I’ll probably be there Paul, unless this is a West Midlands only function? Have experience doing work for the NHS up here in Merseyside – daresay I’d find some of Carl’s natter resonant. Suppose seven years worth of periodic Slashdot haunting will make the ‘hacker’ attendees intelligible.
In my experience local government/civil servant types tend to be pretty stodgy, uninspiring, buzzword spouting sorts – but hey perhaps closer to Birmingham the councils possess a lively, spirited and profound culture?
Oh yeah, by ‘possibilities of data’ what exactly are you denoting?
Pete, editor at Dirty Garnet.
All welcome. Possibilities of data – well that’s up to the attendees!