Personalization and localization through geo-technology
I'm here at the NewsTools 2008 conference in Sunnyvale, California and had the opportunity to sit in on a session with Paul Lamb of Man on a Mission Consulting. The topic of discussion was "Personalization, localization, geocoding, geotracking, geo-broadcasting." Through our discussion Lamb outlined his interest in leveraging technology for the social good, and the new technologies that will help us achieve this. To make sure we're all on the same page, here are some definitions provided by Lamb...
"1. Personalization: Personalization is tailoring a consumer product, electronic or written medium to a uswer based on personal detals or characteristics they provide. Examples Newsfeed aggregators like Netvibes or Mixx.
2. Localization: Local news and information with community and neighborhood relevant information. This includes both hyper-local search and community spedific sites like i-neighbors.org, the Gotham Gazette (New York City), and Everyblock.
3. Geocoding: Geocoding or geotagging is the process of assigning geographic identifiers (e.g., codes or geographic coordinates expressed as latitues-longitude) to map features with other data records, such as street addresses. Examples include Google Mapsand Google Earth.
4. Geotracking: Is the ability to track locations and peoplge using online mapping or place-based sensors like GPS, Wifi, cell phone triangulation, and RFID tags. Examples include Meetro, Imity and Myloki.
5. Geo-broadcasting: Geo-broadcasting involves live video or audio broadcasting that is simultaneously tracked using online mapping and geotracking tools. Example seero.com"
Many of the people in our discussion group were curious as to how this geo-technology would be utilized by in low-income communities, after all, not everyone has a Blackberry or iPhone. Lamb explained how mobile technology is booming, even in third world countries. And that the beauty of this, is you don't need a computer to access. It's much more likely that someone from a low-income area will have a cell phone vs. a laptop or desktop computer. Thus, the window of opportunity for geo-tracking is widened tremendously in comparison to technology that is solely computer based.
This idea is that people will be able to connect as a community to disseminate knowledge surrounding a specific geographic location. In most cases it would be up to members of the community to contribute information and keep the project rolling. An example of this citizen mashup would be in Michigan where drivers mapped out current potholes and recently patched potholes. Lack of moderation does raise a question of trustworthiness, but for the most part it's assumed that someone taking the time to contribute to the community really does care about the project being created.
The affect this has on journalism is that news no longer has to live and die in one day, after being interpreted by one group of people. Instead it is able to continually grow as time passes with people contributing to its evolution. This is a process where news and information can live in a physical, geographic location. Lamb had an example of where the Berlin Wall formally stood. People can rent GPS devices that detect where the wall used to stand. As someone passes across the barrier they can hear speeches from the former Chancellor, or biographical stories of those affected by the wall. The story lives on and evolves in a physical place.
The possibilities for this geo-technology seem endless, and it's exciting to see where it will move next. I'd just finally like to point to an advocacy mashup to show how powerful the use of this technology can truly be. Here is screenshot of the Crisis in Darfur project where Google Earth teamed up with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to draw attention, create awareness and spark action against the genocide in Darfur.
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