anyone knowledgeable about Ushahidi, GIS, mesh networks?

and also caring about Iran?

Week 8 - Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing: A Beacon in the Dark

Technology is developing and being used at a rapid pace in tandem with the speed of the world. The world has shown an amazing capacity for creativity and improvisation, particularly in times of dire need, when communication systems fail us during natural disasters or other catastrophic events. The emergence of social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and others has altered how we receive and distribute information. These platforms have evolved into vital instruments for news organisations and emergency services, as well as lifelines for those affected by disasters.

In times of disaster, traditional channels of communication may break down, but people's voices continue to be strong and loud, resonating throughout the vast digital cosmos. This phenomenon of harnessing collective intelligence through digital platforms is known as crowdsourcing.

Harnessing Collective Power

Two prominent instances are the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 2011 tsunami in Japan. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 2011 tsunami in Japan made clear how important technology is to disaster relief efforts. Communities from all over the world united, and using technology for rapid relief and recovery was a big part of their joint endeavour. Notably, the Ushahidi platform was set up following the earthquake in Haiti, allowing individuals to text in crisis information that was subsequently plotted on maps to direct rescue operations. Such use of digital tools and social mapping platforms allowed for timely and effective collection and dissemination of on-the-ground data, ensuring targeted relief efforts (Zook, M., Graham, M., Shelton, T., & Gorman, S. 2010. Volunteered Geographic Information and Crowdsourcing Disaster Relief: A Case Study of the Haitian Earthquake. World Medical & Health Policy).

Beyond Crises: The Expanding Horizons of Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is not limited to the context of disasters; it permeates many facets of our digital lives. It would be impossible to discuss crowdsourcing without mentioning its cousin, crowdfunding. The way projects are funded has changed dramatically as a result of websites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe, which emphasise community involvement over traditional gatekeepers.

The Synergy of Crowdsourcing and Social Media

The idea of crowdsourcing is not new at all—imagine town hall meetings or neighbourhood brainstorming sessions from the past—but its potential has been greatly enhanced by the widespread use of social media. These days, a request for assistance or an idea can be shared with millions of people worldwide in a matter of seconds. The democratic aspect of these platforms is what makes everything so beautiful; any voice, no matter where it comes from, has the power to be heard.

Social media and crowdsourcing naturally complement each other. Both flourish on the values of transparency, community involvement, and the common objective of improvement. As demonstrated in a number of crises, the two can spark ground-breaking solutions when they work together. The immediacy of social media, combined with the vast reservoir of global talents, means that solutions can be ideated, iterated, and implemented at a pace previously unimaginable (Brabham, D.C. 2013. Crowdsourcing in the Public Sector. Georgetown University Press).

The Ethical Dimensions of Crowdsourcing

Even though crowdsourcing has undeniable power, it's important to use caution when using it. Making sure crowdsourced information is accurate and reliable becomes crucial in a time when false information can spread just as quickly as the truth. After all, acting based on inaccurate information during a crisis can have disastrous results.

This brings up the crowdsourcing's ethical implications. How can we confirm that the information is accurate? How can we make sure that vulnerable or marginalised groups are not overshadowed by the voice of the crowd? Furthermore, in the context of crowdfunding, how can we guarantee openness and that the money goes to the designated recipients?

Conclusion

The digital era is evidence of how adaptive and inventive people can be. The increasing use of crowdsourcing serves as a reminder that human cooperation is still a powerful force in the increasingly automated world. Through social media and other platforms, our combined strength can be a source of hope and advancement in addressing global crises and advancing technology. Through our contemplations and interactions, we keep investigating this dynamic interaction, which is constantly changing and learning.

References

Zook, M., Graham, M., Shelton, T., & Gorman, S. (2010). Volunteered Geographic Information and Crowdsourcing Disaster Relief: A Case Study of the Haitian Earthquake. World Medical & Health Policy, 2(2), 7-33. <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2202/1948-4682.1069>

Brabham, D.C. (2013). Crowdsourcing in the Public Sector. Georgetown University Press. < https://books.google.com.my/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MPrOBwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT10&dq=Brabham,+D.C.+(2013).+Crowdsourcing+in+the+Public+Sector.+Georgetown+University+Press.&ots=xqRAErf5hb&sig=8fuHEjfKriH81Li_X70C_mgi6bc&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Brabham%2C%20D.C.%20(2013).%20Crowdsourcing%20in%20the%20Public%20Sector.%20Georgetown%20University%20Press.&f=false>

Aliyofanyiwa Nabi yamkuta Gamondi Yanga

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Mhubiri Ezekiel Odero ameachiliwa Huru Baada ya Mahakama kuona hakuna ushahidi Wa kutosha

Mhubiri Wa Injili ichini Kenya Mtumishi Ezekiel Odero achiliwa Huru na Mahakama baada ya kuonekana Hana hatia Mhubiri huyo alieshikwa baada ya tuhuma kua anashirikiana na mchungaji Makenzie mwenye alieshikwa Kwa mauaji yaliofanyika shaka Hola Waumini Wa Ezekiel wamemshukuru mwenyezi Mungu Kwa kuachiliwa Kwa mchungaji wao . Mchungaji Ezekiel akiwa Kwa Mahakama ya Shanzu .

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Mwanga wa kukaushia kucha unakuweka kwenye hatari ya kupata kansa ya ngozi. Kwa mara ya kwanza, watafiti wamekuja na ushahidi wa kutosha kwamba mwanga unaotumika kukaushia gel ya kucha unaongeza hatari ya kupata kansa ya ngozi. Utafiti huo umefanywa na wataalamu kutoka vyuo vikuu vya SanDiego na Pittsburg na matokeo yake kuchapishwa kwenye jarida la Nature Communications. Utafiti huo unaonyesha kwamba mwanga unaotolewa na taa hizo unauwa seli za ngozi na kuvuruga utaratibu wa kawaida wa ukuaji wa seli, hali inayofanya seli hizo ziwe na uwezo wa kujibadilisha na hata kuwa kansa. Taa zinazotumika kukausha kucha huwa zinatoa mwanga wa UV, ambao ndio huo huo huwa unatoka kwenye jua. Kwa miaka mingi inajulikana kwamba mwanga wa jua unaweza kusababisha kansa ya ngozi. Kwa upande wa kucha, kufanya mara moja kwa mwaka huenda haina madhara, hatari kubwa ni kwa wale ambao wanafanya mara kwa mara. Mtafiti mkuu wa utafiti huu, Profesa Ludmil Alexandrov alisema alipata wazo la kufanya utafiti huu baada ya kusoma makala kwenye gazeti kuhusu mshiriki mmoja wa mashindano ya urembo kupata kansa adimu ya ngozi ya kidole chake. Hata hivyo wataalamu wanahitaji kupitia sampuli ya watu wengi kwenye jamii ili kuona kama kuna matukio zaidi ya kansa ya ngozi kwa watumiaji wa bidhaa hizo. Kwa sasa wataalamu wanashauri kupaka mikono yako cream ya kukinga mionzi (sunscreen) aina ya SPF30 dakika 20 kabla ya kuingia kwenye mwanga wa kukaushia kucha. https://www.instagram.com/p/CnoENtrNH6K/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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MUUZA CHIPS (104)

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Jina: MUUZA CHIPSMwandishi: MoonBoy SEHEMU YA MIA MOJA NA ILIPOISHIA… Heeeeeeee watu wote walishangaa na kuamka kumwangalia huyo mwenye kipingamizi na ndoa hio, sii mwingine bali alikuwa ni sarah, tena alikuwa kashika mkanda wa video kumaanisha kiwa ana ushahidi wa kuipinga ndoa hio… Mama sarah haamini kitu anachofanya mtoto wake, mama miriam hata yeye haamini macho yake.. KAMA UNATUMIA APP…

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#ParsToday. | Kamati ya Bunge: Tuna ushahidi wa kumtia hatiani Trump

#ParsToday. | Kamati ya Bunge: Tuna ushahidi wa kumtia hatiani Trump

Wanachama wa Kamati ya Bunge la Marekani inayochunguza shambulio dhidi ya jengo la Kongresi tarehe 6 Januari mwaka jana, wamesema wana ushahidi wa kutosha wa kumtia hatiani aliyekuwa rais wa nchi hiyo, Donald Trump. Jopo hilo la uchunguzi limesema kuwa limekusanya ushahidi wa kutosha wa kumweka kwenye hatia Trump, kwa jaribio lake la kutaka kupindua matokeo ya uchaguzi wa 2020. Vikao vya kamati…

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Give people the right tools to do it, and they will.

Ass. 1b. Week 8. Crowdsourcing in times of crisis.

Crowdsourcing is the term used for the practice of gathering content and services from the greater public, primarily via the internet and social media, rather than by using traditional media (Merriam Webster Online 2014). If you need something or to achieve and a particular outcome, crowdsourcing is one way to help it happen. Where this methodology becomes useful is in a time of need and crisis. There have been a few points of crisis where the use of social media, namely Twitter, has helped to disseminate information and to gather information about places that have the highest need for help.

The 2011 Queensland Floods are one case at hand. Twitter was used to keep people updated with valuable information from local authorities (Burns et al. 2012 p. 7). “The Twitter hashtag #qldfloods quickly became the central coordinating mechanism for flood-related user activity” (Burns et al. 2012 p. 8). Social media played a vital part in contributing to the rescue operation and enabled the public to assist and contribute in a time of need.

Another significant development from crowdsourcing has come in the form of social mapping. After the 2007 Kenyan elections when the new president was elected, there was a substantial amount of unrest.  The opposition staged protests across the country which got out of hand and soon broke into violent clashes between ethnic groups (Ford 2012 p. 34). From the unrest, we saw the development of Ushahidi, the social mapping platform that allowed normal, everyday people to make real-time reports of what was happening on the ground (Ford 2012 p. 33). Interestingly, the platform itself was built by crowdsourcing when a local journalist, Kenyan Pundit ask for suggestions and help in reporting the facts (Ford 2012 p.34). Quickly a team arose and developed the platform, which in turn, ended up crowdsourcing crisis information.

Both situations are a great tribute to both the everyday human and to technology. At heart, most people are willing to love, care and help others. Give people the right tools to do it, and they will.

References

Anon 2019, 1037 109 L Tb Tu IUL Diabetes Meme Were Altin This Together Diabetes Awareness Month 113 110 <p> Let&rsquos Spread Accurate Information About Type 1 Diabetes During the Month of November! How Are You Doing Your Part? <br><p> | Andrew Bogut Meme on ME.ME, [image], viewed 14 January, 2019, <https://me.me/i/10-37-109-l-tb-tu-iul-diabetes-meme-were-altin-22117279>.

Burns, A, Burgess, J, Crawford, K & Shaw, F 2012, #qldfloods and @QPSMedia: Crisis Communication on Twitter in the 2011 South East Queensland Floods, Brisbane, pp. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/48241/1/floodsreport.pdf, viewed 8 January, 2019, <https://eprints.qut.edu.au/48241/1/floodsreport.pdf>.

Burns, A, Burgess, J, Crawford, K & Shaw, F 2012, #qldfloods and @QPSMedia: Crisis Communication on Twitter in the 2011 South East Queensland Floods, Brisbane, pp. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/48241/1/floodsreport.pdf, [image], viewed 8 January, 2019, <https://eprints.qut.edu.au/48241/1/floodsreport.pdf>.

Ford, H 2012, "Crowd Wisdom", Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39, viewed 8 January, 2019, <https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1177/0306422012465800>.

Lardinois, F 2019, Help Me Help Uses Crowdsourcing To Make Disaster Response More Efficient, [image], viewed 14 January, 2019, <https://techcrunch.com/2013/07/04/help-me-help-wants-to-make-emergency-response-during-disasters-more-efficient/>.

Webster, M 2014, Definition of CROWDSOURCING, viewed 14 January, 2019, <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crowdsourcing>.

Crowdsourced (8)

The South East Queensland floods in 2011 was a devastating natural disaster.  35 confirmed deaths and over 200,000 people affected.  Various social media platforms were increasingly used by media and emergency service departments to distribute and communicate information with the State as power went down and mobile devices were left standing.

According to research by Arc Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Twitter hashtag #qldfloods was used in more than 35,000 tweets and became the ‘central coordinating mechanism for floods-related user activity’ and these tweets ‘focussed predominantly on sharing directly relevant situational information, advice, news media and multimedia reports’ (Bruns et al, 2012).

This type of online sharing of real-time information in times of crisis’s fits into the broader definition of what is known as ‘Crowdsourcing’ – ‘the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers' (Merriam Webster Online 2014).

It is in fact a rapidly changing landscape the way in which media outlets and emergency services respond to, and engage with, the public in times of natural disasters and crises.

Media outlet ABC now incorporate social media as part of their emergency and disaster situation strategy through publishing key messages with links to online articles and other emergency services/agencies, as well as real-time crowdsourced information (Posetti et al, 2012).

Crowdsourcing has however, transformed into more than just retweeting and reposting emergency and disaster situations on social media.

Ushahidi, which translates into ‘testimony’ in Swahili, is an app which was developed in Nairobi to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election violence in 2008. Thousands have since used Ushahidi’s crowdsourcing tools to raise their voice, providing software and services to numerous sectors and civil society to help improve the bottom up flow of information (Ushahidi 2018).  The tool has evolved quite a bit, but initially worked by integrating SMS, 'Twitter, Facebook as well as updates from the web, so that a crowdsourced picture of an event unfolding over time could be depicted on a single map' (Ford 2012, p. 35).

Ford notes that although quite liberating in situations where there is little location-specific information available, or where an event covers a vast geographical area, challenges are posed in terms of verification of information and in many cases, misinformation, or inaccurate information being as damaging as no information at all, thus emergency services authorities are often reluctant to draw on crowdmapping (crowdsourcing) without systems in place to check and verify information (Ford 2012).

Although I agree to an extent regarding the reluctance of use by emergency services authorities due to issues around accuracy, I believe these innovations in technology for facilitating and improving the flow of information among communities is vital, particularly given the vast majority of society lives online. Perhaps crowdsourcing technology in times of crisies in the 21st century is what radio was in the years pre and post WWII.

References

Bruns, A, Burgess, J, Crawford, K & Shaw, F 2012, ‘#qldfloods and @QPSMedia: Crisis Communication on Twitter in the 2011 South East Queensland Floods’, Arc Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, pp. 7-10, viewed 26 September 2018, <http://www.cci.edu.au/floodsreport.pdf>

Creighton, D, 2016, ‘Queensland floods 2011, The floods by the numbers’, The Brisbane Times, 12 January, viewed 29 January 2019, <https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-floods-2011-the-floods-by-the-numbers-20160112-gm4czk.html>

Ford, H 2012, 'Crowd Wisdom', Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39

Postetti, J & Lo, P 2012, ‘The Twitterisation of ABCs Emergency & Disaster Communication’, Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 34-39

Ushahidi, 2019, ‘About Ushahidi’, Ushahidi, viewed 29 January 2019,��·         <https://www.ushahidi.com/about>

Images

https://twitter.com/hashtag/qldfloods

https://giphy.com/gifs/vulture-xTiTnhXjLyayuvu3hm

https://www.ushahidi.com/

https://www.ushahidi.com/blog/2010/04/14/crisis-mapping-haiti-some-final-reflections

The collective nature of the crowd

Crowdfunding has become a bit of a buzzword over recent years, so firstly let's look at what is crowdfunding? It's a fundraising practice that utilises connections much like networked publics to gather funding in support of a specific project (Doan & Toledana 2017, p. 38). To put this practice into a fun pop-culture perspective we can look at a successful crowdfunding campaign instigated by Kevin Roberts in 2013. Veronica Mars, a detective drama following the adventures of a high school/college student by day and teen detective by night was revitalised as a feature-length film through networked crowdfunding seven years after the series was cancelled from network television (Yahr 2014). Roberts employed the help of Kickstart.com, a website dedicated to helping raise funds for creative projects. Roberts initially requested $2 million dollars for the project but by the end of the crowdfunding campaign, he had raised a staggering $5,702,153 (Hills 2015, p. 2). If you consider that this project targeted a very specific niche demographic it highlights the impact and possibilities of using networked publics to generate connections by utilising the affordance of spreadability to link dispersed individuals who can come together to fund a common goal, it also tells me that teen detective dramas are wildly more popular and I may be missing out on quality television.

Veronica Mars (Shellstropaljamil 2016)

If it’s possible to not just generate involvement but to exceed expectations for the value of entertainment, can we take the same basic principle of using online networks collective nature and converge in collective democratic action? This is exactly what the developers of Ushahidi proceed to do in the aftermath of the 2007 Kenyan elections. Post-election protests turned into widespread violence, which leads Kenyan blogger Ory Okolloh to make a public appeal to her followers asking for ideas of how it may be possible to collect information regarding the names of Kenyan citizens who lost their lives in the violence throughout this turbulent period. Approximately twenty develops came to the aid and offered their time and labour to develop a tracking system via SMS and an online platform, and in a week Ushahidi was born (Ford 2012 p. 33-34). Ushahidi was developed through the collective nature of crowdsourcing, crowdsourcing goes beyond the collective funding, crowdsourcing commodity is people power, its a collective of individuals and their skills sets brought together to create and find solutions to a task or problem (Shepherd 2012, p. 11).

Crisis Mapping Japan (Ushahidi 2011)

Ushahidi’s success is its ability to utilize networked publics affordances of direct participation, as Henry Jenkins eloquently states, “crowdsourcing is about shifting the power relations between audience and producers” (2013 p. 248). The collective nature of Ushahidi promotes the co-creative involvement of collective groups establishing a bottom-up networks (Zorina 2016, p. 85). Since the turbulent Kenyan election of 2007, countless Ushahidi maps have been developed in over 159 countries (Hyman 2014, p. 28) to track an abundance of social, political and environmental issues. Ushahidi is a constantly evolving platform with users embracing the affordance of crowdsourcing collaborative nature helping to stimulate a worldwide social consciousness “to help improve the bottom-up flow of information” (Ushahidi 2018).

Ushahidi's Crisis Mapping in 40 seconds (99 Faces TV 2011)

Reference List

Aljona, Z 2016, ‘From a competing to a collaborative crowd: Tactics for co-creation with innovative bottom-up communities: Tactics for co-creation with innovative bottom-up communities’, Organizational Dynamics, vol. 45, no. 2, pp.80-93.

Doan, M & Toledano, M 2018, ‘Beyond organization-centred public relations: Collective action through a civic crowdfunding campaign’, Public Relations Review, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 37-46.

Ford, H 2012, 'Crowd Wisdom', Index on Censorship, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 33-39.

Hills, M 2015, ‘Veronica Mars , fandom, and the ‘Affective Economics’ of crowdfunding poachers’, New Media & Society, vol. 17, no. 2, pp.183-197.

Hyman, P 2014, ‘Peace Technologies' Enable Eyewitness Reporting When Disasters Strike’, Communications of the ACM, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 27-29.

Jenkins, H,  Ford, S & Green, J 2013, Spreadable Media - Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture, NYU Press, Ebook Central (ProQuest).

99 Faces TV 2011, Ushahidi's Crisis Mapping in 40 seconds, 24 March, viewed 17 May 2018, <https://youtu.be/SakTPDHs6iI>.

Shellstropaljamil 2016, ‘Veronica Mars Amazing’, [image], Tumblr, viewed 17 May 2018, <https://78.media.tumblr.com/9da1690a02ecc1f6ca8281bddd9588ae/tumblr_nmjn88Iuo11rohg16o3_250.gif>.

Shepherd, H 2012, ‘Crowdsourcing’, Contexts, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 10-11.

Ushahidi 2011, ‘ Crisis Mapping Japan’, [image], Ushahidi, viewed 17 May 2018, <https://2ee8a9b674d3b6a52133-b7785f8c6e03b0b67de30b88e1b0fcb9.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/2011/04/sinsai-500x348.png>.

Ushahidi 2018, About Ushahidi, Ushahidi, viewed 15 May 2018,<https://www.ushahidi.com/about>.

Yahr, E 2014, ‘Veronica Mars’ creator Rob Thomas explains how his canceled show rose from the ashes for a groundbreaking movie, The Washington Post, viewed 15 May 2018, <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/03/13/veronica-mars-creator-rob-thomas-explains-how-his-canceled-show-rose-from-the-ashes-for-a-groundbreaking-movie/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d3b70ae07666>.

CrowdSurfing

9Whenever I think of crowdsourcing I immediately think of the feature on Facebook that allows you to say “I’m okay” in a time of a crisis. This feature is smart but makes me think does this lend us to becoming lazier when it comes to a natural disaster and other unforeseen events.

But first what is crowdsourcing??

Crowdsourcing can be defined as a type of online participation in which individuals, groups, institutions and organisations come together to complete a task, in which the volunteers undertaking the task bring with them their money, knowledge and experience which entails a mutual benefit (Brabham, p. 2).

So basically, like charity.

When we look at past events, take for instance the November 2015 Paris attacks, social media did what it always does when there is a disaster like this one, it reacted. The hashtag #Prayers4Paris started trending on Twitter and Facebook released the option to add the French flag overlay on top of your profile picture, with more than 120 million people used this feature in the first 3 days (Bondarenko, 2017). These sorts of features aren’t exactly the most effective during a time of a crisis, we need to get back to our roots and get our hands dirty and lend a hand.

Some other examples of crowdsourcing, which in the case of a disaster are more effective, are sites including GoFundMe, a crowdfunding platform that allows people to create a page that permits their friends, family members and complete strangers to donate to their event, and Ushahidi a site that allows individuals to submit reports using their mobile phone or the Internet, which create a geospatial archive of events. These two platforms are ingenious ways to individuals being able to either give back to those who have been affected by the disaster and can’t be there to lend a helping hand or pinpoint exactly where individuals are in terms of a disaster and where the disaster is taking place.

Here is a TEDx Talk (2015) that explains more about crowdsourcing and “changing the world one idea at a time”.

References:

Brabham, DC 2013, Crowdsourcing, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bondarenko, V 2017, ‘Facebook has quietly stopped offering flag profile picture filters after terrorist attacks’, Business Insider Australia, 8th June, viewed 14th May 2018, <https://www.businessinsider.com.au/facebook-stops-offering-flag-profile-picture-filters-after-terrorist-attacks-2017-5?r=US&IR=T>.

Tedx Talks 2015, Crowdsourcing Innovation: Changing the world one idea at a time | Rob Wilmot | TEDxKraków, 6th August, viewed 14th May 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1GZoamtgHQ>.

Mapengo matano Manchester United

Huu ni ushahidi kuwa Man United inataka kuondokana na pengo kubwa lililowasumbua katika safu ya ushambuliaji. Kikosi cha sasa hakina washambuliaji wenye hadhi ya Ruud van Nistelrooy, Andy Cole, Louis Saha, Wayne Rooney, Van Persie na wengineo. KUMALIZIKA msimu wa Ligi Kuu England ni mwanzo wa hekaheka za usajili kwa ajili ya msimu ujao. Timu mbalimbali zinafanya jitihada za kusajili wachezaji…

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There’s positives from Social Media?

While I have previously talked of the negatives that social networking can bring, I have not touched on the positive outcomes that come from it. One of them being Crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing has been defined by Riccardi, M 2016 in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction as 'using the power of the Internet and social media to 'virtually harness the power of individuals and bring them together in support of a disaster.'

Crowdsourcing has been so successful and has brought the world together after tragedies such as the hurricane in Haiti in 2010. While it was horrible what happened it was being of crowdsourcing that lives were able to be saved through resources such as food and medicine were distributed throughout those who were affected. It was through campaigns online where it was widely spread to take action so they could provide the resources to help volunteers on the ground in Haiti.

Crowdsourcing has become more normalised with the introduction to more technology and software platforms. Many people around the world have helped in the aid of many individuals and families who have been directly effecting by major disasters around the world.

There have even been methods used for crowdsourcing, this has been adopted by Ushahidi where they use crisis mapping. The developed an online map that will dot where there have been a crisis, it will share the exact GPS coordinates and will mention what supplies they need and how many are injured. They visualise this information in real time for emergency response, social activism and public accountability. This allows for more transparency of what's actually happening in the world around us and allow us to help people more quickly and effectively.

Through the use of crowdsourcing we are able to help so many people around the world, showing the positive effects of social media an dhow we can use to for good use.

Video sourced from (YouTube).

“When a crisis occurs, the people who are affected can use Ushahidi's open-source platform to report what is happening around them via social media, email, and text. Their reports are compiled into real-time maps, which enable others to reach and help them more quickly.”

Crisis? Let’s turn to crowdsourcing.

“Technology is not meant to replace humanitarian efforts, it is meant to augment them and make them more efficient and more effective.”

Nathaniel Manning, CEO, Ushahidi

Measuring earthquake activity, designing the Sydney Opera House & saving lives; crowdsourcing has got us covered. What is it? In its most basic form, it is the practice of obtaining information/services through engaging a crowd of people in order to solve a problem. In 1955, one of the earliest forms of crowdsourcing came to light when the Australian government began a contest for the design of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  The contest turned to designers, artists and engineers - receiving 233 entires from 32 countries.

Fast forward to 2019 and crowdsourcing has got its bread in many baskets. How? Social Media.  The dynamic nature of social media allows people to share brand new ideas, engage with people cross-globally and showcase our skills to the rest of the world; all on a 24/7 instantaneous platform! Coke for instance, turned to its 50+ million crowd through Facebook, asking fans to suggest an invention, cause or social app that could spread happiness. In this way crowdsourcing was brilliant! Crowdsourcing provided a way for coke to be socially responsible and proved to consumers that they were open, transparent and valued their consumers opinion. (All for free!) 

Aside from capitalist schemes to meet marketing quotas, crowdsourcing can REALLY help humanity. Particularly in times of crisis. Take the example of Ushahidi, a platform created to help marginalised Kenyan’s whilst post-election violence erupted in 2007.

Controversial issues were being disregarded and unreported to mainstream media, leaving Kenya in the dark. In response, Ushahidi’s crowdsourcing platform bypassed mainstream media, allowing people to provide real time information and identify key affected areas on a map. This helped emergency services, NGO’s, governments and not-for-profit groups to listen and respond more effectively to the situation at hand. Furthermore, the situation became increasingly transparent and services were able to respond quickly and effectively to save lives and offer assistance. This example is a true testament to crowdsourcing. Riccardi sums it up nicely; “the true power of crowdsourcing; individuals coming together from across the globe, who possess different sets of skills and can work together to solve a complex problem quickly and efficiently”.

As digital citizens we utilise our co-existing sphericules to gather information to help humanity and the overall public sphere. This is how crowdsourcing is effective in shaping our sociality and instilling democracy. Crowdsourcing for just causes helps to improve our sociality and even more importantly, aims to prove a utopian view of social media; where information, equal & protected participation, and the absence of institutional influence create the ideal public sphere.

There is no double edge to the crowdsourcing sword.