CRISIS SOURCING

Abstract

The article offers information on the Ushahidi platform developed by Ushahidi, a nonprofit company cofounded by Erik Hersman in Kenya. The platform is helpful in tracking anti-immigrant violence in South Africa. The application could receive incident reports from citizens through text messaging, which would then be displayed on a Google Maps application. Hersman asserts that the tool, which is downloadable and could be hosted by the company, could make people a node on the network without the use of expertise. He adds that the tool is also available for U.S. citizens.