Power may have gone out for thousands of west-end Torontonians
on January 16th, subsequently silencing the screeches and scampering of feet at a series of shut-down subway stations, but thanks to one young man's bright idea, there was a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
For Brian Gilham, a 23-year-old journalist, web developer, and most significantly, commuter, the enveloping blackness gave his pet project a chance to shine.
Gilham is the man behind
TTCupdates, a service which scans
TTC alerts, shortens them appropriately, and then posts them to
Twitter, where the connected collective expands on the information, sharing crucial advice and timely updates.
"It sort of proved itself (during the blackout)," he told
CityNews.ca. "I saw people offering up their homes for people to come in and stay warm, I saw people offering updates on the TTC, what's running and what wasn't, where you could go to get help. And even Brad Ross, TTC's Director of Corporate Communications, he got in on it, and starting using TTCupdates as well...It really proved itself that night."
Twitter outshone most major media outlets during that darkened period, providing a boisterous example of how community can conquer and crowd-sourcing can offer a wealth of information that can make traditional media's output look paltry by comparison.
"It's about getting things out there in as many ways as possible and not being afraid of getting information out there and having people see it, as opposed to the old model where companies and organizations would be very concerned," Gilham notes. "These days, to have something like the TTC saying, '
a guy got shot, don't go near Osgoode, here's an alternative, or there's a small fire'...people forget that those kinds of things are very revolutionary compared to how things were done even five years ago."
Gilham has watched with surprised enthusiasm as his service has grown. He didn't expect it to garner as much attention as it has, but it's not surprising given its pragmatic nature how quickly it's caught on.
"To be honest it sort of started off as a quick little project...it was just something I thought would be helpful...so I just sort of ran with it, and to be honest it has taken on a life of its own."
He stresses he has no affiliation with the TTC, although he admits he's impressed with how they've responded to his initiative.
"I had a chance to meet with (TTC Chair) Adam Giambrone at the
TTC Service Improvements meeting last week and he seemed very cool about it. I really think the TTC has a new mindset with things. They are really fostering the community around the TTC lately and I think it's really great."
"Brad Ross being on Twitter is a perfect example," he adds. "He's on there all day and night answering questions from people and fielding complaints and I really think it puts a face on the TTC, any corporation or organization that can be more transparent and open and put a face to itself that way, I think it's really great."
What's even greater is watching the internet being utilized to its full potential, shedding its outdated image as little more than a lawless porn portal, and instead being illuminated as a valuable community tool where communication and cooperation combine to help shape a brighter future.
Gilham's TTCupdates, and Twitter, are ultimately microcosms of a much larger phenomenon, and his words hold more significance than he may realize.
"When there's a problem, often you'll find people giving each other solutions, ways to get around it, alternatives, that sort of thing. I think it's a good example of the community coming together to sort of fill in those cracks."
He may be referring to his 'pet project' when he talks about the community coming together, but he's really expanding on a vision that's finally being realized, spreading its spacey roots and bearing the fruits of a connected future.
michaelt@citytv.com