aris2chat
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- Feb 17, 2012
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Gossip travels faster than a phone call in Lebanon. Still when bombs and rocket went off we each in our way held out breath in anticipation that someone we knew or cared about would be the victim. Good news never traveled as fast as bad news, but now it can. It is easier to notify you "list" or social network that you are safe.
There are apps that divert you and tell you where trouble spots are and roads closed.
There are apps that tell you the news and where safety is. Weather, earthquakes, road construction, traffic jams and now areas targeted by bombs, rockets or mortars. Apps that keep others informed about how you are. Just a bit less stress is always welcome.
I Am Alive: The role of apps in disaster relief
thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2014/05/17/alive-role-apps-aid-relief/
Lauren Maffeo
17 May '14, 12:00pm
On January 2, a piercing boom ripped through Beirut. A car bomb placed near a Hezbollah security zone had exploded, leaving five people dead and dozens more injured a consequence of the Syrian conflict arousing old regional rivalries.
It was the seventh such attack throughout Lebanon in six months. And Sandra Hassan had had enough.
I am currently in Paris pursuing a masters degree in Public Health, and I have a few Lebanese friends here as well, Hassan, a 27-year-old Lebanese native, explains.
Whenever we heard of an explosion, our hearts would sink and wed rush to our phones and computers to contact our families and friends. It seemed absurd that the reality we were living in led us to worry about our loved ones safety every other day. I felt helpless and incredibly frustrated.
A few weeks after that blast, Hassans frustration had turned to action. On January 21, the full-time student and freelance developer launched her latest project, I Am Alive, in the Google Play store.
Once the app is installed, users can connect to Twitter or Facebook and modify the message displayed on the main screen. The tap of a button allows users to send the message, #Lebanon #IAmAlive through their social media accounts.
The apps internal network also allows users to see which contacts have updated their status within the past hour, so they can direct concern to those who remain unaccounted for.
When I started working on it, I realized that it could, in fact, be practical, especially since phone lines are usually down after an explosion or similar event, Hassan says. The app consumes very little data, and can function even on Edge. Rather than placing a call, [the app] could also play a role in reducing the amount of stress that is put on phone lines as people try to get in touch with one another, potentially freeing up the lines for those who urgently need to place a call.
Hassans personal project quickly became a lifeline for others in her shoes. Three weeks and two more bombings later, the app had been downloaded 4,000 times and used regularly by dozens. Hassan began receiving requests for expansion almost instantly................................
There are apps that divert you and tell you where trouble spots are and roads closed.
There are apps that tell you the news and where safety is. Weather, earthquakes, road construction, traffic jams and now areas targeted by bombs, rockets or mortars. Apps that keep others informed about how you are. Just a bit less stress is always welcome.
I Am Alive: The role of apps in disaster relief
thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2014/05/17/alive-role-apps-aid-relief/
Lauren Maffeo
17 May '14, 12:00pm
On January 2, a piercing boom ripped through Beirut. A car bomb placed near a Hezbollah security zone had exploded, leaving five people dead and dozens more injured a consequence of the Syrian conflict arousing old regional rivalries.
It was the seventh such attack throughout Lebanon in six months. And Sandra Hassan had had enough.
I am currently in Paris pursuing a masters degree in Public Health, and I have a few Lebanese friends here as well, Hassan, a 27-year-old Lebanese native, explains.
Whenever we heard of an explosion, our hearts would sink and wed rush to our phones and computers to contact our families and friends. It seemed absurd that the reality we were living in led us to worry about our loved ones safety every other day. I felt helpless and incredibly frustrated.
A few weeks after that blast, Hassans frustration had turned to action. On January 21, the full-time student and freelance developer launched her latest project, I Am Alive, in the Google Play store.
Once the app is installed, users can connect to Twitter or Facebook and modify the message displayed on the main screen. The tap of a button allows users to send the message, #Lebanon #IAmAlive through their social media accounts.
The apps internal network also allows users to see which contacts have updated their status within the past hour, so they can direct concern to those who remain unaccounted for.
When I started working on it, I realized that it could, in fact, be practical, especially since phone lines are usually down after an explosion or similar event, Hassan says. The app consumes very little data, and can function even on Edge. Rather than placing a call, [the app] could also play a role in reducing the amount of stress that is put on phone lines as people try to get in touch with one another, potentially freeing up the lines for those who urgently need to place a call.
Hassans personal project quickly became a lifeline for others in her shoes. Three weeks and two more bombings later, the app had been downloaded 4,000 times and used regularly by dozens. Hassan began receiving requests for expansion almost instantly................................
