312 Special Topic: Computing For Good

Examples of benevolent computing projects from the CS Multimedia Lab

iSign

Shelterware

Article about Benevolent Computing from Stony Brook Magazine, Winter 2018
https://www.stonybrook.edu/magazine/2018-winter/computing-for-social-good

Talk about Benevolent Computing at the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement conference, Stony Brook University, June 2018
NCSCE Slides

Example of a benevolent computing project from the CS Department

SBU Smart Transit System Newsday Article


Critique of Software Development Today

Article: "Is Silicon Valley Funding the Wrong Stuff"?, By Chistopher Mims, Wall Street Journal, 7/6/2014
http://www.wsj.com/articles/is-silicon-valley-investing-in-the-wrong-stuff-1404688048

Article: "The Echo Chamber of Silicon Valley", By Nick Bilton, NY Times, 6/2/2013
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/disruptions-the-echo-chamber-of-silicon-valley/

Article: "Is Silicon Valley only interested in the problems of twentysomethings?", By Ezra Klein, Washington Post, 5/27/2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/27/is-silicon-valley-only-interested-in-the-problems-of-twentysomethings/

Satire: Solve Your First World Problems. Silicon Valley Has You Covered.
http://www.firstworldproblems.biz/#


The State of Computing for Good

Videos: Social Innovatrion Fellows
https://vimeo.com/search?q=poptech+social+innovation+fellows

Video: Georgia Tech's Dr. Ellen Zegura on Computing for Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpecR9BMcS8

Microsoft: "Computing For Social Change"


Poverty Alleviation

Journal Paper: "The $100 Laptop: A Cyberspace Playground", by Danielle Harris, SIGCAS Computers and Society, Volume 40, No. 1, March 2010

Journal Paper: "UNDER DEVELOPMENT: The six habits of highly effective "humanitarian" projects", by Gary Marsden, ACM Interactions, Volume 16 Issue 5, September + October 2009

Case Studies:

Kilimo Salama, insurance for farmers in the developing world

Charity Swear Box, raising funds for charity from digital potty-mouths


Health Care Applications

Article: "Turning to Software to Help Treat Brain Injuries", by Gordy Black, NY Times 6/17/2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/us/17bcbrain.html

Case Studies:

CrowdOutAids, a UN sponsored initiative

MedAfrica, a smartphone app that connects rural Kenyans to health services


Activism

Article: "Charity Goes Mobile to Appeal to Young", by Stephanie Strom, NY Times 6/24/2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/business/25charity.html?pagewanted=all

Case Studies:

Gripe, the Better Business Bureau of the Twitter era

HomeElephant, a Neighborhood Watch type of application

SeeClickFix, a social network for reporting problems in the community


Crowdfunding

Article: "Pennies From Many", by Amy Cortese, NY Times 9/25/2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/opinion/a-proposal-to-allow-small-private-companies-to-get-investors-online.html

Article: "Scientists Turn to Crowds on the Web to Finance Their Projects", by Thomas Lin, NY Times 7/11/2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/science/12crowd.html?pagewanted=all

Case Studies:

LuckyAnt, a KickStarter type of application for local small businesses

IndieGoGo, a crowdfunding site for projects in the arts

KickStarter, the original crowdfunding site


Crowdsourcing

Article: "Change the World, and Win Fabulous Prizes", by Steve Lohr, NY Times 5/21/2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/technology/22unboxed.html

Journal Paper: "Crystal structure of a monomeric retroviral protease solved by protein folding game players", by Firas Khatib (et al), Nature Structure and Molecular Biology 9/18/2011
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/zoran/NSMBfoldit-2011.pdf

Case Studies:

LiveAndTell, a language preservation web site

EteRNA, a web-based game that helps researchers study RNA

Foldit, a 3D puzzle game whose players enabled researchers to solve the structure of a critical enzyme in the AIDS virus

Foldit video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTlNNFQxs_A


Collaboration

Case Studies:

C Your City, a FourSquare type of app that allows users to tag and share cultural landmarks in their neighborhoods

Mixel, an app for collaborative collages

One Day On Earth, a global project to present views from every corner of the planet

Two of Us, and app that allows strangers to exchange smiles

Emotional Bag Check, allows users to exchange their troubles for a song


Environmental Applications

Case Studies:

SFPark system, a mobile app to direct commuters to available parking in San Francisco

Earthquake Early Warning App

ExchangeMyPhone, a cell phone recycling web site


Consumer Applications

Case Studies:

National Restaurant Guide, a Zagat type of guide for socially responsible restaraunts

Taggie, a shopping application to inform consumers about their grocery purchases

Plum, the NetFlix of baby clothes


Education and Serious Games

Case Studies:

Note-Taker, a system to assist vision-impaired students in the classroom

DonorsChoose Hacking Education Contest, the KickStarter for educational projects

WeTopia, gaming for philanthropic causes

Games for Change, organization for serious games


Assistive Applications

Case Studies:

E-nable, crowdsourced 3d-printed prosthetics

SignAloud, sign language to english interpreter

Unseen Art, 3d printed art for the blind

Paramusical Ensemble, EEG's allow quadriplegics to communicate with musicians


DIY

Case Studies:

Open Source Ecology, a web site supporting the off-the-grid economy with open source hardware and software

Video: "Global Village Construction Set", presentation by Marcin Jakubowski, TED Talks
http://vimeo.com/30171620