Governments should produce public goods, like navigation aids and roads. That seems like a reasonable thing to expect of a functioning government, right?

I consider data a public good too. We all benefit from accurate maps, thorough measurements of the natural world, and trustworthy economic data.

Which is why it was I was so upset when I heard how the the current US administration has been on a tear to actually remove data. All through 2025, websites were taking down and datasets were taken offline. This Wikipedia page catalogs what's been happening, and this report by the American Statistical Association goes into more depth about what's been happening and its implications.

In response the Data Rescue Project sprang into action. They're a group of concerned academics, librarians, and citizens who have been copying and cataloging datasets so they aren't lost. The project's press page has links to many articles and presentations that describe their work and its impact. Last November I saw a call for volunteers for DRP on a mailing list of ex-Googlers and was eager to help.

Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD)

It's worth describing a bit about the particular dataset I actually worked on: Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD). It's a good case study.

HIFLD is a collection of maps. Maps of basic stuff, like roads, levees, river depth charts, locations of military bases. Beyond just being good maps, a big part of HIFLD's value is helping to make sure everyone uses the same maps.

So HIFLD is mostly curating data. Most of the data comes from other agencies (USGS, Army Corps of Engineers, Census Bureau) and HIFLD brings it together and provides it in a trustworthy, central place. Well, I should say "provided" because in September the government stopped providing it. The story is well told in this good article on Project Geospatial.

This is where the Data Rescue Project comes in. DRP volunteers immediately scooped up the data and kept in temporary storage. Then they organized a bucket brigade of volunteers to categorize and put snapshots into long-term storage. Importantly, this was coupled with metadata to ensure they're findable later. That's the part I worked on, uploading and entering metadata. We met our goal of getting all of HIFLD "rescued" by year's end. Frank Donnelly, the project manager, wrote up a nice summary of what we did and how. For my piece I relied on a nice Selenium driver, written by another volunteer, to create over a hundred projects (screen recording).

This is just one of many DRP efforts. Check out their tracker to see the breadth of work.

While I'm proud of this project, I keep reminding myself that we're playing defense. Having a one-time snapshot isn't nearly as good as having the government actually do its job. Which is why we need to keep demanding better leadership and a return to effective government. Assert your rights and protest!   ❌ 👑.

I just finished the Big Dig podcast and it's worth a listen. It's about Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel Project, the most expensive highway project in US history. They cover the whole story, from conception, to getting it approved, to years of execution, and then the fallout from cost overruns and mismanagement. The podcast is well produced and has a lot of primary-source interviews.

I have a little bit of a personal connection, since I lived in Boston during the project's later years when it was on the news all the time. I even toured a part under construction.

But what I find most compelling is trying to connect to the question, can America build big infrastructure anymore? It's something I think lot about. We benefit from by the giant projects from the past (dams, bridges, interstates) but can't maintain them properly; we struggle to take on new things like high-speed rail.

They place most of the blame on headwinds that didn't exist in the public-works heyday of the twentieth century. Leaders are under more scrutiny; projects fall under a bunch of regulations intended to protect the environment and workers. Public commentary slows things down.

The problem is, while the old way was easier, it also caused a lot of harm. I learned the story of the Cambridge and East Boston families that stopped interstate projects that would have leveled their homes and neighborhoods. I know those places well. I used to own a home right where one of those roads was supposed to have been. I sure am grateful to those protesters who won!

It ends on a hopeful note. Not that it's easy, nor are we necessarily that much better managing big projects now. But there are success stories.

One part I especially liked was 20 minutes into the final episode, in the final interview with Fred Salvucci, where he told the story Saint Francis. God tells Francis to build a cathedral, but then tears it down. Francis builds another, God destroys it again. Why, Francis asks. Because it's not enough to build a physical cathedral, but you also have to build the support for it in the hearts and minds of the people. Maybe that's the part we're not doing well enough now.