Tom Steinberg - Agenda Setters 2009

Name: Tom Steinberg

Title: Founder of mySociety.org

Position: 38    Last year: Not ranked

Why? Opening up government using web 2.0 technology

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• Marten Mickos

Tom Steinberg's name might not immediately ring any bells but chances are that you've used his websites.

Steinberg is the director of mySociety, a not-for-profit, open source organisation that set up the TheyWorkForYou website, which uses the official parliamentary record to chart what MPs say and do.

mySociety's portfolio of websites are designed to strengthen people's ability to exercise their democratic rights and improve their communities. This is embodied in its other runaway success, FixMyStreet, which provides a simple way to report nuisances such as fly-tipping or graffiti to local councils.

Before setting up mySociety Steinberg cut his teeth in the corridors of power, working within the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit from 2001 to 2003.

Steinberg still dabbles in the Westminster affairs, recently co-authoring The Power of Information Review, on how the UK government can throw open official data to the public.

For silicon.com's panel Steinberg deserves credit for having "shown us how powerful web 2.0 can be for government".