There's a fascinating article in the Sunday New York Times on a software tool called Ushahidi.
The tool, which was developed to track instances of misbehavior (to put it mildly) after Kenya's disputed 2007 election, allows real-time tracking of events. They're reported via multiple methods (but mostly cellphone) to a central nexus where a person takes the information -- what happened, where, how bad -- and keys it in. The tool is used to generate a Mapquest-like map of the area, showing the cumulative reports - how many, what type, where, what details. Over time, you build up a picture of what's truly going on -- where are the false or mistaken reports, where are the intense hot spots. And it's done virtually instantaneously, powered by the people most affected.
Even my opaque mind is boggled by the concept. Okay, I do think you could game that system, something like a DDOS attack? But even so -- wow. A terrific concept.
2 comments:
Fascinating. What about all the other issues on this? I am sure that there are other things that people could tweet or note or whatever that would influence economics, or perhaps the environment or who knows what else. I know that mass protests have formed in an instant due to cell phones connecting with one call about the presence of someone that the issue group wanted to protest 'at'. Get that Congressman where it will mean something---coming out of that expensive restaurant with...wait that isn't his wife!
I like the sound of that.
Have you heard of flash mobs?
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