Why Dead is Dead

Map it. Change it?  Not really.  Mapping doesn't equal change. 


Using crowdsourcing tech like Ushahidi maps without doing the strategic and programmatic ground work is likely not going to work or change much of anything.  Trying to crowdscource a map without a goal or strategy is well, just a map, and pretty soon a dead map.  

There is an increasing number of Ushahidi maps that are set up with little thought as to the why, what, who, and how. And we definitely see many maps that where created by people who have absolutely no idea about how to actually go about changing much of anything.  Most of them end here. 

So we thought we'd use a crowdmap to map dead maps (duh.). Think of it as the Ushahidi cemetery. We've collected and visualized reports of maps that are definitely deceased. More on what characteristics warrant us issuing a death certificate for a map is below. 

But before we get to that, we want to share some ideas as to what we think makes for more effective crowdsourcing and mapping.

What makes a crowd-sourced map live rather than die a slow death?

  1. Careful thinking about how a crowdsourced map will advance your goals is essential. Until you can answer the question clearly: "Why will this map lead to the change I desire," don't set one up. 
  2. A map is only as good as the data in it. Bad data, unclear categories, and no quality control = bad map.
  3. A map should have a clearly-defined focus for report collection. A map that aims to crowdsource and map all human rights violations and crimes everywhere in the world in real-time is doomed from the start. We call that a stillbirth.
  4. Without a community to draw from and intensive outreach and marketing, people won't know about a crowdsourced map, why they should care about it let alone care enough to submit a report.  (Many of the maps in the cemetery have few submitted reports, making the mapmakers look kind of pathetic.) 
  5. A map with no reports is sad. We consider it on life support and soon on its deathbed, so watch out. Consider populating the map with reports from your community (make sure that you have one and know how to reach it.)  Yep, just because you built it doesn't mean they will come. 

To end up in the Ushahidi cemetery, at least one of the following is true about the maps here:

  • No one (let alone a crowd) has submitted a report to the map in the last 12 months.
  • For time-bound events, like elections and disasters, the number of reports is so infinitesimally small in relation to the affected community that the map never reached a point anywhere near relevance. (Our measure for elections is, for instance, # of submissions / # of registered voters > .0001).
  • The map was never actually started (there are no category descriptions or fewer than 10 reports).  DOA, anyone? 
  • The map is listed in the Ushahidi deployment list but the link to the map is dead.  That definitely warrants a death certificate. 

Questions? 

  • Email us: dead.ushahidi@gmail.com. 
  • Tweet us at @deadushahidi.  
  • Or just poke around and submit your own Ushahidi corpse.  We'll give them a proper burial.