[R] The Future of R | API to Public Databases

[Benjamin Weber]

Dear R Users -

R is a wonderful software package. CRAN provides a variety of tools to
work on your data. But R is not apt to utilize all the public
databases in an efficient manner.
I observed the most tedious part with R is searching and downloading
the data from public databases and putting it into the right format. I
could not find a package on CRAN which offers exactly this fundamental
capability.
Imagine R is the unified interface to access (and analyze) all public
data in the easiest way possible. That would create a real impact,
would put R a big leap forward and would enable us to see the world
with different eyes.

There is a lack of a direct connection to the API of these databases,
to name a few:

- Eurostat
- OECD
- IMF
- Worldbank
- UN
- FAO
- data.gov
- ...

The ease of access to the data is the key of information processing with R.

How can we handle the flow of information noise? R has to give an
answer to that with an extensive API to public databases.

I would love your comments and ideas as a contribution in a vital discussion.

Benjamin