Monday, March 14, 2011

Technology and Japan

After the devastating earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan, I have read about many incredible ways people and technology have helped aid in the recovery process. One of the first articles I read, talked about how students at Tufts University have used a Facebook and Twitter to create maps that pinpoint crisis areas across Japan. This technology, which was also very in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, allows people (if they have internet access) to Tweet or Facebook about a certain problem nearby, so it can be added to crisis maps, which are distributed to the Red Cross and other emergency aid organizations. Also, similar to what happened during the recent uprising in Egypt, Twitter and Facebook are working to set up toll free telephone lines that will allow users to broadcast their messages onto the internet. Also, phone services such as AT&T and Verizon are looking to make all calls to Japan free for the month of March. Hopefully, this can help families to reconnect with loved ones who have been displaced by the disaster.





One amazing technology that I have read about since the disaster in Japan was launched by Google, and is known as the "person finder." This interface is very simple, and it works by allowing users to either look for someone or provide information about someone. When you are searching for somebody, you type in their name and it will provide you with any information about their whereabouts and how you might be able to contact them. You can also type in information about a person, which can update those who are desperately searching for loved ones. Although this technology is amazing and very helpful, it has been the bearer of very sad news to thousands of families who learned that their loved ones were no longer with us. However, because anybody can access the interface, and there is no way for Google to validate the information, there have also been many stories of people posting information inaccurate information about those displaced persons. Even though the server is not always going to be accurate, it more often than not provides people with valid information. Hopefully the world can continue to rally around Japan and help it rebuild as soon as possible.






Citations: http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/03/14/1226021/298659-japan-earthquake.jpg
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2011/03/13/aqui.japan.google.tool.missing.cnn
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/science-technology/US-Japanese-Students-Use-Facebook-Twitter-to-Map-Crisis-Points-117965689.html
Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. tshamerMarch 20, 2011 at 12:25 PM

    Tyler,
    Wow, I had no idea that all of these technologies were available to help the crisis in Japan. Just the other day I was thinking to myself how great it is that technology has come so far as to allow people to text Red Cross and automatically give a $10 donation. Hopefully in this time of crisis people will not falsely manipulate the "person finder" interface. If this is used properly than I think it will be able to provide a lot of help and relief (mentally, at least) for family members looking for their loved ones.

    ReplyDelete
  2. rosenrMarch 20, 2011 at 2:15 PM

    This is the perfect example of how technology has such a huge impact on our society. Even in times of crisis, people resort to technology to help them with their problems. The "person finder" is really something different and this also supports the notion that the rise in technology is continuous and people depend upon different forms of social media to get through everyday life. Whether they are looking for information about a relative or signaling for help in a time of need, people are dependent on the internet. What I also find interesting is that I am learning more about the internet everyday. For instance I did not even know that texting the Red Cross to give a donation was a possibility nor did I know that something as complex as the "person finder" could even exist. You're right Taylor, technology has really come extremely far!

    ReplyDelete
  3. SophMarch 20, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    Google really thinks of everything, wow! This "person finder" is so simple, yet so important, especially to all disasters similar to the one in Japan. Although it may be the bearer of bad news to many people and their families, I think most people would appreciate finding out online than not finding out at all and always wondering what happened. What do you think?
    As Rian mentioned, technology really does have an incredible impact on society and does so much good for the world. Much of it is just about convenience- an example of which is the donation of money for a text message, as Taylor mentioned. For instance, I'm sure many people have donated those 10 dollars through text messaging who wouldn't have otherwise given any money. Do you agree?

    ReplyDelete
  4. rosenrMarch 22, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    Soph,
    I definitely think that people are now more likely to donate money. Once donations become convenient and do not require a long process to fulfill, people are more willing to follow through with such a simple task. People send hundreds of texts a day, what's one more especially if it is going to a good cause such as the Red Cross. This idea of making technology easily accessible while continuing to enhance its ability is a great one! How much further do you think this will go? The "person finder" once seemed like such a far - fetched idea... do you think anything can go even further? What do you think will be next?

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)