No Lawsuits Required: Technology Embraces the Community

Technology has few borders, an ethereal quality that is currently causing Google some legal concerns. Google Maps is currently facing legal action in several different countries for various offenses, from trespassing on the rights of private citizens by sampling their data while compiling their extensive photographic archive to switching a man’s business and street address.

Several weeks ago, we profiled an open source company that is compiling a map of the world using the contributions of individual users. This voluntary collaborative gathering of information has so far provoked no lawsuits, and boasts a high degree of accuracy. Much like Wikipedia, the map is subject to user changes and edits.

Google Maps has undertaken an arguably much more difficult task, which is to present the world to a public that demands both detailed accuracy and carefully observed social boundaries. Part of the most recent wave of technology’s initial innovative quality was that it paid so little heed to traditionally observed rules and thought processes. Now, however, Google’s run-in with a slew of different displeased municipalities and citizens illustrates the need for more sensitivity.

Geolocation, a technology which allows an internet user to instantly locate businesses or other items of interest within a geographically accessible radius based on his or her geographical location, may become an increasingly important aspect of all technological ventures. While so-called “thinking outside of the box” is always to be applauded when initially mapping out the concept of a new venture, appreciating the individual aspects of the community being served is also vital for technology. In order to remain a trusted and reliable component, technology must respect the people who contribute to and benefit from it.

Collaborative ventures, wherein the community is able to actively participate in contributing or modifying information, help technology achieve this goal. By actively integrating members of a particular community into a technological process, the creators of that technology gain an invaluable sounding board on how to improve their product to best serve their clientele; similarly, the members of the community feel their contributions matter, which enriches the experience for both parties. No lawsuits required.