Crowd-sourcing is a tool that businesses use to gain support through the community by outsourcing a detailed list of instructions to a specific demographic. Whether it is to allow members of a community to be more proactive by detailing problems associated with their neighborhood. Or the simple pleasures of surprising everyone in a public space by performing a choreographed dance. Crowd-sourcing has various applications and can be beneficial if used correctly.
This term was coined by Jeffrey Howe, it established that the concept of crowdsourcing depends essentially on the fact that because it is an open call to an undefined group of people, it gathers those who are most fit to perform tasks, solve complex problems and contribute with the most relevant and fresh ideas.
It has diminished the gap between the professional and the amateur, by doing so, a new collective consciousness is formed. By outsourcing an idea via the web, a community can embrace the idea and thus the creative process begins.
My crowd-sourcing idea would be for the traveler on the road, especially if doing a cross-country trip. It would link with google navigation and provide the address to cheap places to stay the night (motels, campgrounds, etc.) It would rank them according to their quality based on reviews by others who have stayed there. It would also provide the traveler where to eat according to affordability and quality. Additionally it would describe sights along the way, depending on the route you are taking. It would also warn you of places to avoid. I believe this application would be very helpful to those who are planning a long voyage and who are basically traveling blind. I know from experience that many will just choose the first thing they see and are most likely bypassing an excellent place to stay or eat.
