Popcorn Hacks
Popcorn Hack 1
Find a website that uses reCAPTCHA (provide the link):
A commonly known website that uses reCAPTCHA is:
đź”— https://www.google.com/recaptcha
Another real-world example where reCAPTCHA is actively used is:
đź”— https://www.ticketmaster.com
Purpose of reCAPTCHA:
reCAPTCHA is a system designed to distinguish human users from bots. It helps protect websites from spam, abuse, and automated attacks by presenting challenges (e.g., identifying images or clicking a checkbox) that are easy for humans but difficult for machines.
Popcorn Hack 2
Find another public dataset and describe its purpose. What do you think are the pros and cons of this dataset?
đź”— Global Surface Summary of the Day - NOAA
Description:
This dataset, maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides daily climate summaries from thousands of weather stations around the world. It includes data points like temperature, wind speed, humidity, and precipitation.
Purpose:
The dataset is intended to support climate research, forecasting models, and public awareness of long-term weather patterns. It’s used in meteorology, agriculture, environmental science, and policy planning.
Pros:
- Wide geographic coverage and historical depth (spanning decades).
- Regularly updated and maintained by a reliable government source.
- Useful for climate modeling, trend analysis, and emergency planning.
Cons:
- Some weather stations may have gaps or inconsistent reporting.
- Requires cleaning and domain expertise to analyze effectively.
- Large file sizes can be difficult for beginners to work with.
Hacks
Question 1
Explain the concept of crowdsourcing. Provide 2 examples (that have not been mentioned in this lesson) of how it is commonly used in different fields.
Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining input, ideas, or services by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, especially from an online community, rather than relying solely on traditional employees or suppliers. It taps into the collective intelligence and skills of the public to solve problems, generate content, or complete tasks.
One common example is LEGO Ideas, where fans submit new set ideas, and popular ones are turned into actual LEGO products. Another example is in the medical field, where platforms like Foldit, a puzzle-based protein-folding game, let players help scientists predict protein structures—contributing to real biomedical research.
Question 2
Identify a real-world example of a successful crowdsourcing project. Explain the project, its goals, and the positive outcomes achieved through the collaboration of a large group of people.
A successful crowdsourcing project is Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It was launched in 2001 with the goal of making knowledge freely available to everyone in the world. Instead of relying on a small team of experts, Wikipedia harnesses the power of millions of contributors globally who write, edit, and fact-check entries across nearly every topic imaginable.
The result is one of the largest and most widely used knowledge bases in the world. Its success lies in community collaboration, transparency, and continuous updates. Wikipedia has empowered people to access and share information in over 300 languages.
Question 3
What are some drawbacks of crowdsourcing and why would certain groups denounce crowdsourcing? Provide specific example(s).
Despite its benefits, crowdsourcing has several drawbacks. One major concern is quality control—not all contributions are accurate or reliable, which can compromise the end product. Another issue is exploitation, where companies benefit from unpaid labor while contributors receive little or no compensation.
For example, speculative design contests often ask artists to submit complete designs with no guarantee of payment, leading many in the design community to criticize them as unfair. Similarly, Amazon Mechanical Turk has faced backlash for low pay and lack of protections for workers. Labor groups may denounce crowdsourcing for undercutting professional work standards and job security.
Question 4
Find a public data set that would work with your Pilot City project.
For a Pilot City project focused on improving urban planning, infrastructure, or sustainability, a valuable public dataset would be the “Open Data Portal” from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Specifically, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) offers datasets on traffic patterns, public transit usage, pedestrian flow, and more.
For example, a dataset titled “National Transit Database Ridership Data” includes ridership numbers, route information, and service data from transit agencies across the U.S. This can help analyze transportation efficiency, environmental impact, and areas in need of infrastructure investment. The data is open, regularly updated, and ideal for community-driven problem-solving.