Midterm presentation

Presentation here.

Working mobile site here.

I didn't go in-depth with my user cases or their spheres of influence. I've already done a lot of research into this cohort, and will be beta testing with them in the Spring, but I'm still talking with real people in the field and reading a ton of material about LGBTQ usage of mobile technology. So, more to come for the final, I'm sure.

QWhere is more about filling a need/gap in the LGBTQ tech space. Therefore, I'm building it to serve a larger audience than just queer youth, but they are my motivating factor. Unbelievably, there is still no comprehensive database of LGBTQ resources on or off-line. Many years ago, when I was first coming out in the early 1990's there were "The Pink Pages." A physical Yellow Pages of Gay & Lesbian businesses, mostly. You could pick one up at your local Gay Bookstore. There used to be 3 in Manhattan; all have long since closed.

Nowadays, most everything is online, especially businesses. The thing you can't find as easily is an organization that can help you Come Out of the Closet or help you with housing succession rights if your partnership isn't recognized by the state: Resources that actually impact your life, not just help you spend a gay dollar. So, I'm compiling that database and making it easily accessible to everyone, free and hopefully as safe as possible. And I consider people to be resources, too. So, integrating person-to-person engagement is high on my list of desired features.

Things I'd like to add or make functional:

- expand the database
- make texting the database work back & forth
- Geolocation in real time & space
- person-to-person communication
- allow users to submit or tag & rate resources (maybe like Layr)
- create smartphone apps from the mobile site (Phonegap)
- tie into existing social networks (Facebook, Twitter & Foursquare)
- partner with LGBTQ mobile sites/tech (It Gets Better Project, Trevor Project, Friendfactor, IFD)
- partner with mobile providers to make texting QWhere free (Credo Mobile)
- incorporate ads for resources in the database
- build a non-mobile website
- have a million+ users (the more users, the more pink pushpins)
- go global, localized languages
- advertise everywhere how to get QWhere
- push notifications for political organizing
- make a "___Where" for every affinity group that wants/needs it
- make the world a better/friendlier/usable place

I've got dreams, baby!