Prompt Cast
Civic hacker in Taiwan develops innovative apps to address public issues
TLDR Howard Wu, a civic hacker in Taiwan, developed apps such as a medical mask tracker during the early stages of the pandemic to address public problems not handled by the government, reflecting Taiwan's successful approach to fighting the virus through technology and collaboration. Taiwan's embrace of civic tech, strict quarantine measures, and successful collaborations have led to minimal local COVID-19 cases and economic stability, showcasing the potential of citizen empowerment in improving government services.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Civic hacker in Taiwan, Howard Wu, develops apps to solve public problems not addressed by the government, such as tracking garbage truck locations.
03:35
Howard Wu developed apps to solve public problems in Taiwan, including a medical mask tracker during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, reflecting Taiwan's successful approach to fighting the virus through innovative technology.
06:51
Taiwan implemented laws to handle epidemics better after a hospital lockdown incident, leading to the creation of an app by Howard Wu to track mask availability during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
10:11
Howard Wu's mask map caught the attention of Taiwan's digital minister, Audrey Tang, leading to negotiations with Google and a new plan to improve the mask availability tracking system.
13:20
Audrey Tang convinced the Taiwanese government to make pharmacy mask inventory public for civic hackers, leading to a successful hackathon that improved mask availability tracking in Taiwan.
16:32
Taiwan implemented strict quarantine measures and fines for breaking them, resulting in minimal local COVID-19 cases and economic stability, alongside successful civic tech collaborations.
19:38
Countries with successful civic tech collaborations tend to be newer democracies or more authoritarian, like Taiwan, which has embraced civic tech due to its flexible government structure, unlike the US, where volunteering tech services for the government is illegal.
22:57
Civic hackers in Taiwan are developing technologies with more privacy features, such as contact tracing systems, and believe that citizens should be empowered to improve the government through hacking, viewing democracy itself as a technology that can be changed and "forked."
