When we shop, we vote. Many of the products we purchase put profits in the pockets of our political enemies. We need a smart phone app to track these invisible connections when we shop.
If you have an iPhone, Android or other smart phone you may be aware that there are many barcode scanner apps on the market. These apps allow you to use the phone camera to scan the inventory barcode on any mass produced product and compare the information to an online database.
Redlasar offers a free barcode scanner app that has limited use (advertising?). Consumer reports offers a barcode scanner app linked to their reviews. Food Scanner offers a barcode scanner app that offers nutritional information. I dont know if it links to personal diet or medical information data but it should.
What we need is a barcode scanner app thats political. Wouldnt it be nice to know when your purchase is going to put money in the pocket of your political enemy? The phone's GPS function could cross reference data about businesses owned by your enemies, and perhaps offer friendly alternatives. The barcode scanning technology could offer similar information about products. What is the carbon foot print of the product? Where was the product manufactured, in the USA? By Union labor? Or by a prisoner? or by a kid over seas sold into indentured servitude? This sort of information could be represented by graphics, or colorful icons. Healthier alternatives could be offered.
If you are a software engineer, please step up. I'm sick of paying for my own destruction.
This is my first diary entry. I'm a Techno Progressive.
Science + Technology = Progress
UPDATE:
I think of this technology as Visual Ecology software.
We live in an increasingly complex world of interconnected supply chains. I believe that with the right information technology we can augment our decision making process.
The first part of developing this technology will be working to make identifying products super easy.
Scanning barcodes, digital vision pattern recognition (like they use to identify the faces of terrorists, or AR text translation), and voice capture can make identifying products easier and easier.
The second part is the database. Matching the identification to meaningful information. Perhaps the inforamtion is publically available. Perhaps it could be entered into an opinion wiki like Yelp. I believe that theres already a demand for this type of information for diet. Heart patients and those with diabetes need this information for "Eat This Not That" decisions. Politically we need "Buy This Not That" information.
I would imagine that the companies themselves would love to have this information available. They would be able to target buyers, and when this technology catches on they could use the metrics justify making healthy decisions. They could cut externalities like pollution or increase input costs by offering a living wage but offset this profit loss by increasing market share. They have children too.
Update 2: hypocrite for using? or a way to offset negative
When you purchase a smart phone, wouldnt you want to know which phones are made from what toxic materials? What's the suicide rate in the factory? What happens to the phone when its obsolete and you need to throw it away? What business lobbyists are hired with the profits? What trade organizations are supported with the profits? What political party? Wouldnt you like to know the alternatives or be able to compare this information with easy to use/understand graphics
When you sign up for telcom service wouldnt you like to know who is violating your rights? Who is doing side business as a defense contractor? What are their HR policies towards human rights? Wouldnt you like to know if any alternatives are available?
Even if your phone purchase has no good options, would you like to have this sort of information about every other sort of product. Would that make your phone purchase/use less regrettable?
Update 3: wiki cloud database with brand name super users
I agree that the best database model would be cloud based. Something like wikipedia mixed with yelp.
First there would be numerical factual based metrics from the public record.
Second would be opinion:
Individual activists can offer their own opinion = numeric score (overall and or with sub catagories) with an explanaition. This score would be offered as one overall graphic with the ability to look sub graphics (or set preference dependingon your top issue)
Super users with name brand recognition like PETA, Moveon, Amnesty International, Human Rights Campaign, etc etc. could offer their score backed by thier credibility. This would allow less informed users to get a quick trusted opinion score. There could also be indexes available for catagories and represented as graphics.
The business can offer their own score and explanaition. There are two sides to every story, and this would allow businesses to brag about their successes and share further information about their priorities/decisions.
While there may not be gold standard products available in every catagory even adding a marginal increase consciousness/intelligence in shopping could have a large inpact.
I believe that there are opensource code libraries for wiki applications, and computer vision. If you know any programmers or progressive software companies. Please forward this idea around. The datadase could even be used across apps - for example special diet apps for heart patients and diabetics.