Project Creation
GOALS:
The overall goals of the project would be two things:
(1) To provide a tool by which taxi drivers can submit very local crime data from their cellphones to a web site, www.cabbietalk.com.
This data would be maintained in a database online once it’s submitted to the Web site and would be open to anyone that wanted to use it to propose policy changes for the safety of cab drivers or improving working conditions.
(2) To create a constantly streaming citizen news network from texts, photos and videos submitted by taxi drivers which would serve to increase public safety and also to share stories often not told by taxi drivers because the tool has not been there.
METHOD
- Our idea for the project is to get one or two taxi drivers to agree to post from the follow cities: Chicago, Oakland, Guatemala City, a city in Africa and one in India. One person has suggested Venezuela, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Caracas, Venezuela is a good one and perhaps we’ll include more cities to start with.
- Initially it will be a simple group blog where all the dispatches are posted straight from the cellphones. This will serve to to build a community around their reports. We’ll see where it goes from there, but we will be community-drive and powered so all your input is necessary. To support our project idea and get some initial money for it (money which will be put towards buying taxi drivers cellphones and paying for their messaging)