Comments on: App, Community Buy-In Can Help Decrease Litter in San Antonio

By: Trash Dude

Trash Dude — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 20:08:54 +0000

Maybe we need to force companies need to use 100% biodegradeable packaging? Humans tend to be lazy. Even when a park like Brackenridge has 50-60 trashcans, people still leave trash on picnic tables or in parking spots. The epitome of human disconnection from nature.
Check out the flood zone creek area over by Olmos Park for litter apocolypse. From someone who has picked up litter in communities for fifteen years, something isn’t working and more needs to be done on the front end of the consumption cycle by the companies.

By: Mario Bravo

Mario Bravo — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 14:39:40 +0000

Hi Sean. Thanks for sharing your “corrections,” many of which appear to instead be your personal criticisms of the Litterati app. I now see that you have a competing app, which I was not aware of when I wrote this article. If you want people to consider your app over Litterati, you might consider a more positive approach.

I fully accept your correction stating that there are not 2.4 million Litterati users but rather 2.4 million pieces of trash picked up to date. That was a misread on my part.

In points 3 and 4 above, you state that Litterati data is not available for download and it is not possible to download the data. Neither are true. You have to contact the Litterati app developer and create an account with them in order to access the data. I already contacted them, and they agreed to share any data collected at Basura Bash this year with the City of San Antonio at no cost.

There are different business models in the world. And they are all able to compete. Litterati uses a for profit business model. Somebody has to get paid to develop the app and maintain it. I applaud you in your efforts to offer your data at no cost, but not everyone is in a position to work for free.

I am a fan of open data if you can create a model where litter is widely collected and shared. I don’t know why, but it looks like Litterati users worldwide have collected around 400 times as much litter as users of your app. At this point in time people have a choice. They can access your data for free, or they can access 400 times as much data if they are willing to pay. I will give your app a try, and may the best app win.

By: Sean Lynch

Sean Lynch — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 23:31:15 +0000

Some corrections

1. “free mobile app that helps users collect data on litter in their community.“

Correction – a free mobile app that helps users privatize data on litter in their community

2. “include a geolocation and time stamp”

Correction – mapping is automated when location services are activated

3. “Sharing the collected data with companies, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and government organizations”

– agree sharing is good but Litterati data is not available for download meaning that data is not shared. If you want to share data, you should consider embracing open data that anyone can download for free, and use, for any purpose, without permission.

4. “Once more people use the app, we can all become empowered to use the data we’ve collected”

– We can only use data that is accessible. It is not possible to download Litterati data that other people have collected.

5. “ As of last Sunday, there were more than 2.4 million Litterati users worldwide”

– there are about 2 million tags, highly unlikely there are 2.4 million users

6. “Technology that makes pollution visible or draws our attention to it can empower us so we can together reduce or eliminate these health and environmental problems.”

– data is useful when it is open and accessible. Data is not that useful when it is closed data that nobody can access. In fact, closed data makes science and volunteer effort largely redundant.

By: Blueprint Blue

Blueprint Blue — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 16:03:20 +0000

O.P. Schnabel is certainly smiling from the great beyond.

I’m still amazed that people will leave their pet’s “dirty business” nicely bagged on the side of the trail.