New Website Hopes To Compile Mankind's Seven Billion Stories
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
A new website supported by the United Nations is celebrating the world's population hitting seven billion by trying to connect all seven billion people to one another. NY1's Technology reporter Adam Balkin filed the following report. Is it true that there are only six degrees of separation between any two people, anywhere on the planet? A new online project by Row6.com hopes to help anyone with a computer find out.
Called "The Hero With Seven Billion Faces," the project is launching to commemorate the world's population officially reaching seven billion people. The site, right now, has stories from individuals in six countries uploaded by the site's founders.
Going forward, everyone of Earth is being asked to contribute his or her story, in a combination of documentary shorts and Facebook.
"What we're wanting it to be, is people to start uploading their own stories, people to start connecting with people around the world as friends, based on our shared experiences but also embracing our differences," says June Sarpong of Row6.com. "And what's great is not only can you see a person's story, but you can also connect with them, try to friend them. So what's great is people are then becoming friends based on shared experiences."
Language can prove to be a big barrier though, which is why text and videos on the site will all be translated into dozens of languages through technology from a company called dotSUB.
"Seeing somebody with his or her own message passionately told through video is very important, but their message has also to be understood," says David Orban of dotSUB.
Also partnering on the project, is the United Nations, through its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in the hopes that technology can help cut down on those degrees of separation.
"This is also about people engaging with each other and actually seeing the core similarities and the humanity we all share," says Valerie Amos of OCHA.
Developers say 10 percent of any profits it makes will go towards buying refurbished computers for remote and impoversished communities.
To check out the project, visit www.Row6.com.