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Voices of Earth Project

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The Idea:

What will change in the world because this Project happens?

The Voices of Earth (VOE) website will connect internet users with bloggers from around the world. Bloggers will be able to register an account (they will provide the title, url, and feed information for their blog). They will also add their country location. They will not blog directly on VOE – rather, updates on their blog (whichever blogging service they use) will be reported on VOE, organized by region and country. Interested visitors who do not have a blog will also be able to register accounts in order to use certain special features of the site.Any internet user will be able to look for blogs to read, but additional features will be open only to registered users: each lobby will include a “chat” feature where people can communicate with others who are logged in. Additionally, users will be able to create profiles viewable by other registered users. A signature feature of the website will be the “Chat Shuffle,” a feature which will randomly pair an individual user with others from around the world. It will be possible to set parameters, such as a common language, or to simply roll the dice and see what happens. If the chat feature proves successful, then the site can run periodic scheduled group chats on cultural subjects bringing people together for targeted or more thematic discussions.The VOE regional and country pages will also offer visitors informational guides editable by registered users. These will include basic information such as population and country stats, which can be added by the webmaster, but also useful phrases, information about the culture, and recommendations for travelers added by locals. For example, as a user I might edit the USA page and write that in my city, Boston, a useful phrase is “it’s wicked cold!” I would also write that a summer visitor should go to the Harbor Islands, and recommend the North End for Italian food, and so on. Besides being a lively portal to the blogosphere, the website would thus provide useful travel tips.

What information will people interact with to make this change?

Visitors will be able to access information that they might not find otherwise. The principle of the project is that the first step towards true cross-cultural understanding is simply getting people to start talking to each other - to get excited about the idea that people from around the world can be brought so close via the internet. The defining features of the site will be the visual display of users and blog posts, and the ability to look up content from a particular area with an easy-to-use and appealing interface.

Visitors to the site will be able to view a map of the world and zoom in on regions and countries. These maps will show the location of bloggers, recent posts, users online, etc., allowing visitors to visualize the world’s voices in a unique way. Each region and country will have a "lobby" where recent blog posts by VOE bloggers of that region are displayed on a sidebar, along with selections of recently posted photos and videos. For a given region – Africa, for example – the user can view blog posts of users writing from Africa, primarily, and blog posts about Africa written elsewhere.

What else have you done in this Cause Area?

Through my work with United Planet (UP), the organization supporting this project, I have been exploring innovative ways to connect people from around the world to promote a community beyond borders. I have helped to recruit people of different cultures to give presentations in their local area and formal local cultural-sharing clubs. These cultural events are great, but the internet provides incredible potential for cultural sharing globally. I have previously spent time abroad in Spain and Vietnam, and these cross-cultural experiences were life-changing.

Cause Area:
- Arts & Culture
Cause Area Tags:
Project URL:
http://www.voicesofearth.org
Supporting Organization:
United Planet - Boston, MA
Supporting Organization URL:
www.unitedplanet.org
Financial support?:
No
City:
Boston
State/Region:
MA
Country:
United States

The Assessment

What kind of help or resources do you need to turn your project idea into a completed mashup?

We would require technical and web design assistance. United Planet, the organization supporting this project, is helping with time and manpower, but the project lacks the necessary design experience to make the project a reality.