How does LFT411 work?
LFT411 works using some basic web or internet tools and technologies. Here is the basic list:
1. Email or SMS / Text Message
2. Blogger.com for the Blog Site (Actually for the RSS feed, I’ll explain later)
3. Twitter.com
4. TwitterFeed.com (takes RSS feed and publisher items to Twitter.com)
LFT411 isn’t really about any specific website or anything. It’s about information. Primarily about getting the information from anyone in Lafayette, Louisiana willing to provide it and making it available to anyone who wishes to access it from any mobile device.
I think LFT411 is best understood through a typical scenario on using LFT411:
- Jane is on her way to the Mall of Acadiana driving down Johnston St. at 11am. Traffic is at a stand still. She is slowly approaching the intersection of Camillia Blvd. and Johnston St. and can see an ambulance and police up ahead. As she gets closer it becomes apparent there is a bad accident.
- Jane knows that with noon fast approaching the traffic is only going to get heavier and could really create huge delays for people. She grabs her Blackberry or iPhone and sends a quick email to post@lft411.com saying “Accident at Camillia and Johnston. Long delays”
- Her email immediately gets posted to the http://www.lft411.com/ blog.
- Every 30 minutes twitterfeed.com copies posts off the blog and inserts them into Twitter.
- Joe is working in downtown Lafayette and has a lunch scheduled at noon at Coyote Blues.
- As Joe is leaving the office walking to his car he pulls out his cell phone and checks http://www.lft411.com/ or www.twitter.com/lft411
- He notices a post about a traffic accident at Camillia and Johnston indicating long delays. He realizes he will not make it to Coyote Blues in time taking his normal route down Johnston.
- Joe decides to take an alternate route down Congress to Ambassador to avoid the congestion and makes it to his lunch meeting in time.
This happy ending brought to you by Jane and LFT411.com. ;-)
