Jan08
10
Ushahidi - What Social Media Can Be
Ushahidi means ‘witness’ in Swahili. This attempt to use social technology to chronicle incidences of violence in Kenya is the brainchild of Erik Hersman, Ory Okolloh and David Kobaya.
The site is painfully simple in design and concept - it’s a Google Maps mash-up that allows users to report incidences of crime and violence by description and location. Right now this is done via the Web but SMS functionality is in the pipeline. The site doesn’t require registration (because, of course, nobody here wants to make money). From the site:
Ushahidi.com is a tool for people who witness acts of violence in Kenya in these post-election times. You can report the incident that you have seen, and it will appear on a map-based view for others to see. We are working with local Kenyan NGO’s to get information and to verify each incident.
What you can do is get the word out about Ushahidi so that it’s utilized to it’s full potential. This especially extends to talking to the people that you know who have seen things in Kenya and getting them to the site as well. You can also help by using the contact form to volunteer to help with the tracking and verifying of each incident.
This site took less than a week to conceive and build. It is a meaningful, accurate representation of something that we need to be taking cognisance of. Please show your support by putting a badge on your site and spreading the word that someone is doing something important, not for their own gain, using technology as the medium. My thanks nad appreciation goes out to Erik and team for doing what most of us can do or know that we should do but don’t prioritise.
[...] Mike Stopforth wrote about Ushahidi.com. Read his description, or a summary from their site: Ushahidi.com is a tool for people who witness acts of violence in Kenya in these post-election times. You can report the incident that you have seen, and it will appear on a map-based view for others to see. We are working with local Kenyan NGO’s to get information and to verify each incident. [...]
Mike, thanks for the write-up about Ushahidi. It’s been a real whirlwind, but we’re seeing just how fast things can come about when passionate people put their minds together.
We’re working on the mobile component for Ushahidi. Right now there is an SMS option, but we want to improve on it. Technology wise, we’re thinking of ways to bring in Flickr and YouTube feeds into the site.
Daudi and Ory continue to work with the NGO council in Kenya. Getting those relationships in place will be the real test of how used this tool will be. Those NGOs have broad reach and capabilities - we hope our tool will be useful to them.
Lastly, we’re trying to figure out ways that people can help. So far, we’ve put in a “how you can help” page with a program that MamaMikes.com is running with the Kenyan Red Cross. We hope to add more organizations and ways to help in the near future.
Cheers, and see you in a few weeks!
[...] Activists Find Ways to Help Kenya Ushahidi: What Social Media Can Be Ushahidi.com on KenyanPundit Free Speech (and business) Made Easy More ways to Help - Kenya’s [...]
[...] “What Social Media Can Be” Mike Stopforth writes: The site is painfully simple in design and concept - it’s a Google Maps mash-up that allows users [...]
[...] “What Social Media Can Be” Mike Stopforth writes: The site is painfully simple in design and concept - it’s a Google Maps mash-up that allows users [...]
[...] incidents of violence in Kenya. It’s called “Ushahidi.com” and here’s a larger explanation of how it came to be. I first learned about it on the ShapingYouth blog, which has a really [...]
For your information, David Kobia (the one who help to develop Ushahidi) is the creator of Mashada.com and its forum is promoting violence, tribal clashes and hate speeches… Mashada is one of the place where people will kill you with words. This forum has no moderator and David is doing nothing to moderate the place.
Just as an example, see
http://www.mashada.com/forums/kenya-2008/66697-jaluos-kalenjins-now-stranded-nairobi-let-games-begin.html
“You useless dirty minded kikuyu demon, don’t you realise you are toying with very dangerous issues here? You are mad and deserve HELL. You will rot in hell and save the country such maddness,. You are rotten and filthy minded….you are so frustrated and hopeless. Go hang your stupid self somewhere very far from Kenya you demon from the heart of hell!!!!
Kuma mayo! Bloody Kikuyu idiot”
And this !! Not sure Mr Obama will like this…
http://www.mashada.com/forums/kenya-2008/66697-jaluos-kalenjins-now-stranded-nairobi-let-games-begin.html
“We have barricaded their only route to their rural homes. In Nairobi we have engaged the Mungiki, they will either pay us in order for us not to kill them, or we will kill them….
This is what awaits every misguided jaluo and kalenjin:
[picture of men in blood]”
How can a man develop a useful website such as Ushahidi and in the same time promote violence and clashes in Mashada.
By the way, David, are you safe in Alabama ?
Please moderate your websites as the US law stipulate it or close Mashada.com !!