FrontlineSMS at Opentech, September 2010
by Laura Hudson on Sep 13, 2010
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A presentation about FrontlineSMS and how not all technology works everywhere, for all people...
A presentation about FrontlineSMS and how not all technology works everywhere, for all people...
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Maybe the new way to do journalism with SMS we can't even think of yet. So don't go in saying 'here's' how you use this'.
SMS investigative work - crowdousrcing info gathering e.g. traffic patterns - same time same day 40 ppl.
Mapping using forms - investigative reporting
Reporters to communicate with one another which doesn't happen enough
Maintaining contact in insecure environments
New plugin:
- live poll recording and data visualization - not just texting in but being able to use the data.
- IVR and voice to text services,
- missed-call voting services,
- auto-queuing and categorization of contributors' numbers based on topic,
- natural language processing technology capable of interpreting misspellings and other quirks of SMS-based responses
- mobile payments, for example, to allow, for example, SMS-based donations or micropayments for song and programming requests, or for reading out letters and texts on the air (already happens)
Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS): FrontlineSMS has built basic MMS processing services into our core platform, allowing remote users to contribute photos, audio recordings and video to FrontlineSMS hubs directly from their phone.
phone-to-phone MMS, so that radio hosts could forward photos directly to the phones of interested listeners during a broadcast, as well as Web based aggregation of MMS content, which would enable that rich content to reach a far larger audience.
'Radio Station in a Box': FrontlineSMS would help develop a comprehensive toolkit that could be delivered to new or existing radio station staff, including FrontlineSMS and associated plugins, compatible modems and other hardware, user guides, programming information and ideas on how to ingrate listener feedback and interaction. This information could be sector-specific, with separate user guides for conservation, agriculture, health, etc.
Stations themselves are massive lynchpins of information - listener clubs - listen as a group at particular times, discuss, raise money and do community event based on the programme they've heard. FrontlineSMS to better communicate with villages and other groups.
Reminders to listen to a particular programme instead of marketing
User group for all the maize farmers to discuss what works. Takes Radio from vertical to horizontal. Also Radio can then feed back up - if radio note particular infestation, they can get govt to help.
Pennies - person writes a letter and it's read on the air. Could work with FrontlineSMS too.
Chinese transmitters are falling.
Important not to stifle creativity - to let users decide what they need, not direct but ask what they want to do. Journalists can use SMS in useful ways - but cultural barriers - and need to reinvent the model. Primary tools for reporters are data collection; think about how it can be used; tip lines?
Maybe the new way to do journalism with SMS we can't even think of yet. So don't go in saying 'here's' how you use this'.
SMS investigative work - crowdousrcing info gathering e.g. traffic patterns - same time same day 40 ppl.
Mapping using forms - investigative reporting
Reporters to communicate with one another which doesn't happen enough
Maintaining contact in insecure environments
How can your SMS communication with them have a real impact? Can it form part of a wider campaign with an established ‘ask’ such as signing a petition, which could be easily done with a keyword reply to a broadcast SMS from you?
Who can you reach with SMS that you can’t reach through other means, and what would you most like to get from an interaction with those people?
Whatever you want to achieve, it’s important to think through whether it will work well with SMS. For example, it’s hard to disseminate large volumes of information in a text; similarly referring people to a website using SMS won’t work well unless they have a smart-phone with a good data service. But SMS is great for reminders (that your radio programme is coming on, or that they have an appointment), passing on helpline phone numbers, or doing a straw poll – ‘have you experienced bullying at school today?’