An example of innovation

As the story goes (and I heard this from a Steven Johnson podcast), several years ago, Washington decided to share all of this civic data the city was sitting on (population, crime rates, traffic violations . . .).  To see how this information could be useful in ways the city adminstrators couldn't imagine, they decided to have a contest.

The contest called for inventors and developers to take the data that was now being shared and develop an app that uses the data in a useful and productive manner.  The catch was that the city would have rights to the app.  The first place prize would be ten grand.

The winner was Stumble Safely.

This app (which I think is still being developed for it's site was off line and it's not available through the App Store) takes the crime data offered up by Washington, D. C., and in case you've been out and had too much to drink, this app will show you the safest way to walk home.

Now that's clever.  On first glance, people might think it's not that great of an idea.  Certainly, the Puritans among us wouldn't have a need for it.

But think of this - a college kids is out (as college kids are wont to do from time to time) and has too much to drink.

Usually, he'd drive home given the crime rates in various areas and the fact that he's from out of state and isn't familiar with the area.

So he gets in and is pulled over a mile away.  DUI.  He's done with college and is in debt.  He never earns a degree . . . Now the Puritans say, Good.  He shouldn't have driven drunk.  But come on, who among us, faithful readers, have not had a couple beers or glasses of wine at dinner and driven home drunk (I'm not talking totally enebriated, but it doesn't take that much to really be over the legal limit).

Or worse yet, he gets in his car and collides with a family of six two miles from the bar, killing everyone.

Now, instead he pulls out his iPhone and uses Stumble Safely to get home safely and takes a cab the next day to pick up his car.

That's putting complex information to a use that benefits us all. Isn't that what we should be striving for rather than to pass rudimentary (and often pointless) fill in the bubble tests?