The Boston attacks are still fresh in the minds of many. One suspect was killed in a firefight, another has been detained — and is reportedly being outfitted with a good defense team. However, there are still unresolved issues. We have no clear motive, and the question of whether the FBI bungled it’s job are the two big questions. Despite the unresolved threads in the attacks, we have witnessed innovation in technology by bystanders and concerned persons.
One of the most innovative uses of technology came in the form of crowdsourcing via “Google Person Finder.”
It is not always easy to reach people during crises. Phone lines might be down, or ordered to be shut off. People may be stranded with the Internet as their only voice out, or nothing at all. First employed during the Japanese Tsunami last spring, Google Person Finder is a tool which is meant for users to upload their status during the disaster. The data is then able to be used by first responders to download and synchronize with their own data base, or a first responder’s database can be uploaded to Google. The data can also be embedded into a website with basic HTML code, allowing website owners to provide users with access to this data.
The Boston data has been taken offline and deleted in accordance with Google’s policy, but can be located here. Google provides numbers for hotlines for victims or to the police department to report information in lieu. When the spreadsheet was up and active, anybody could edit the spreadsheet, anybody could view the spreadsheet, and the information was unverified by Google. Like any disaster situation, there always runs the risk of inaccurate, or false, information.
The Boston data might be offline, but the data from the Japanese earthquake is still online in a way. Clicking “Japan” on the Person Finder page brings the user to two options, the option to search for a person, or to upload information about a person. Google issues the same disclaimer it does with the Boston data here, the information is public and edited by anyone. They hold no accountability for the data. However, unlike Boston, the Japanese data is not sorted out in a giant spreadsheet for public viewing.
This is not the first time that technology has been utilized to cover disasters, and sporadic violence is nothing new. Twitter, for example, was notorious for relaying info to protestors in Egypt during the Arab Spring when traditional media had failed the public, or been muzzled shut. It allowed for relaying of information about protests to others with ease. In Mexico it has also had the same effect, uprooting the traditional news outlets for failing to do their jobs. Bribes or fears of endangering newscrews turned the natives of cities into citizen-journalists, blogging what was going on through tweets, which allowed their community to keep up to date on violence, and out of harms way.
Technology also isn’t perfect, either. In some situations Internet connectiosn can be lost for days or weeks – obviously, Person Finder’s uses would be more constrained in these situations. Despite the lack of Internet in disaster situations it could be possible for the information to be changed and updated once responders left a disaster situation, or at the very least, offer up a way to disseminate a missing person’s list. The drawbacks, though, are outweighed by the benefits. No situation is going to be ideal during a disaster. The innovation of people in these situations can not be discounted, and this is but another tool for the person caught in a situation where they must relay information with speed.
Elaine Rita Mendus is a undergraduate student working on graduating college (someday soon). Her career interests include geopolitics, the Hispanic community, and urban planning. She really wouldn't mind ending up a scriptwriter though...
