Digital Journal releases Power User list featuring top 20 in crowdsourcing project in January
Digital Journal today published a list of the 20 most active contributors on its network. The Top 20 list is published each month to report how Digital Journalists, bloggers and citizen journalists interact in an online media network.
In Q4 of 2011, Digital Journal launched a massive gamification project that tracks and reports activity of contributors on Digital Journal. Recording actions such as quantity of articles published, frequency of visit and how engaged members are, Digital Journal rewards points and badges to individual contributors based on the amount of their activity. The members who stay the most active in the month are then rewarded with a “Power Users” badge.
In addition to creating incentive for contributors to participate in the social news network, Digital Journal aims to showcase talent and create a level of transparency that gives an open look at how people interact with a news organization and how user-generated content is valuable in the wider news ecosystem.”
Digital Journal‘s gamification project has completely changed how people view media across our network, and how everyday people contribute,” said Chris Hogg, CEO, Digital Journal. “Month over month we have seen increases in unique visitors and pageviews. The launch of our gamification platform has given back in spades, and everyone across the board is benefiting by complete transparency and in-depth reporting of data.”
In no particular order, Digital Journal’s January 2012 Power Users include:
• Elizabeth Batt
• Arthur Weinreb
• Amanda Payne
• Elizabeth Cunningham Perkins
• Tim Sandle
• Lynn Curwin
• Leigh Goessl
• Andrew Moran
• Alexander Baron
• Paul Wallis
• Katerina Nikolas
• Ernest Dempsey
• Paul Bradbury
• JohnThomas Didymus
• Marcus Hondro
• Lynn Herrmann
• Nancy Houser
• Samuel Okocha
• Igor I. Solar
• Kim I. Hartman
Digital Journal compiles data on a monthly basis and resets the points at the beginning of each month when a new competition begins. More info on Digital Journal’s gamification project can be found here.
Study: iOS apps crash more than Android apps
by Elizabeth Cunningham Perkins (Guest contributor/Digital Journalist)
Smartphone and computer tablet applications built for Apple’s iOS crash more often than those built for Google’s Android operating system, according to research conducted by Crittercism, a mobile application monitoring company, AppAdvice reported.
The Mashable publishing partner AppAdvice reported the results of the Crittercism study in graphs for readers to interpret, stating the graphics show clearly that fewer mobile applications crash under the Android operating system than under its rival iOS 5.0.1.
But this is probably not all Apple’s fault, according to AppAdvice, because this version of the company’s operating system is new enough that many application software developers have not yet found time enough to tweak their third-party apps into compatibility.Still, iOS 4.3.3 caused 10.66 percent of the mobile application crashes, though it has been available much longer, the article noted.
Android 4.0.1 accounted for only 1.04 percent of mobile app crashes in the study, appearing stable by comparison with 28.64 percent for iOS 5.0.1, and hardware issues may be partly to blame, according to Forbes, AppAdvice reported.
Users of mobile apps on both operating systems can scan the images and compare the charts with their experiences, then conclude for themselves whether Crittercism’s study brings good news or bad news — or neither.
This article originally appeared on Digital Journal [Link]
CrimePush app helps you report crime, but it’s still in beta
by Leigh Goessl (Guest contributor/Digital Journalist)
After being held at gunpoint on the streets of Washington, Shayan Pahlevani decided to take action. Using smartphone-app technology, Pahlevani came up with a solution to help people easily report crimes with the push of a button.
Pahlevani’s mobile solution, called CrimePush, became available on Feb. 1 on iTunes and is currently in beta. According to Forbes, CrimePush puts crime reporting in the hands of users and allows people to rapidly report the details of the crime to authorities.
The app is devised to report a crime it occurs, and witnesses can send authorities texts, photos, sound and video.Additionally, the app is said to be designed to report crimes anonymously. The concept behind the app is to allow individuals to empower themselves and help facilitate reporting crimes to law enforcement officials.
“There are often tense situations when calling the police is not an option. There are other times when inconvenience or fear of reprisal prevents one from reporting an incident,” said co-founder, Eman Pahlevani. “Featuring the ability to take a photo, record video and audio, and provide a description of the incident, citizens can now be assured that their phone has the capability to alert family, friends, and the authorities at the push of a button, should a threat arise.”
The company says this app will enable people to swiftly report crimes rather than ignore them. An example used by the company was a situation where individuals witness crimes, but do not stop and take the time to report what was observed. Or, according to the CrimePush makers, “there are other times when personal security is at stake and there is no discreet method of alert.”
Using high school and college students as an example, CrimePush says this app is useful for students coming home late at night, or victimized by hazing, drug use or bullying
.“Opening a new channel via a mobile application, youth populations will be more motivated to provide crime tips and informants will have better tools utilizing a phone’s built-in technology to capture audio, image, or video evidence,” Pahlevani said.
It appears there are mixed feelings about the app between would-be users and police.In Missouri, the St. Peters Police Department tested out the app and, according to KMOV, the results received were not what was “expected.”
“When our dispatcher downloaded the app and she entered in a complaint and pressed ‘send,’ it got lost in cyberspace somewhere,” Melissa Doss, St. Peters Police Department official, said. “There’s a connection missing and I want residents to know that this is not an app to use yet, to report any type of crime because help will not come to you.”
“I’m a big fan of its simplicity and definitely feel safer knowing that there’s a faster way to get crime reported,” said Mameeza Hossain. “It not only strengthens me, but makes me feel a lot more secure,” told WJLA.
It’s not yet as fast as dialing 9-1-1, however the app’s developers say this will be addressed as the company integrates the service with police departments. The St. Peters Police Department indicated they liked the idea, but feel “it is not ready for people to rely on.”
Currently dialing 9-1-1 is the most efficient way to report, say police.
Users placed warnings on the iTunes app’s page because the app is not fully integrated with police departments. One reviewer said, “Good idea, reckless execution.” Others warned not to use the app since it is not functional.
CrimePush has added a disclaimer stating the app is not yet fully operational and makes a plea for users’ help to make this happen. The statement also says:”By downloading this application, you understand and agree to these terms: The CrimePush application is NOT linked, NOR connected to any police, medical, or law-enforcement authority as of yet. By using this application at this time, you will not be assisted for any and all emergencies or crime-reports submitted. NO police department, medical emergency unit, or law enforcement agency will receive a distress message from this application. This is a Beta version that should ONLY be used by potential partners or clients to TEST the utility and user-friendliness of the application. should an emergency arise, you should dial 911.”
CrimePush plans to partner with high schools, law enforcement agencies, colleges and international mobile carries.CrimePush is patent pending, and the free app can currently be downloaded on Android’s Marketplace and the iTunes store. Just keep in mind, the app is in beta and not going to work properly at this time.
This article originally appeared on Digital Journal [Link]