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## About CKAN

CKAN is the Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network, a registry of open knowledge packages and projects (and a few closed ones).

CKAN makes it easy to find, share and reuse open content and data, especially in ways that are machine automatable.

As a system CKAN functions as a synthesis of several different services:

As the diagram shows, CKAN combines the features of a listing/registry, a package index and a wiki. As a registry it acts like freshmeat but for open data and content resources. However it adds to a simple registry in key ways.

First, thanks to its underlying versioned domain model CKAN has a wiki-like interface that lets anyone add and material held in it. Second, and unlike a wiki, CKAN can store 'structured' information, which allows it to provide 'index'-like features such as automated registration, discovery and installation of material. In this respect it behaves like CPAN or PyPI in the software world -- though again for open data and content not code.

More about CKAN, and the background to its creation can be found in these slides.

## Who's Behind CKAN?

The CKAN software and site is developed and maintained by the Open Knowledge Foundation. Both the CKAN code and data are open: free for anyone to use and reuse. To find out more check out the the CKAN project page on the Open Knowledge Foundation site.

## Contributors

Various people and projects have contributed to the development of CKAN including:

- Rufus Pollock
- David Read
- Nick Stenning (css and js)
- John Bywater
- CKAN logo: "angry hamster"
- famfamfam.com for silk icons
- Pylons
- Genshi