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I had to think very hard for months on how to set up the database because some signs have phone numbers, some don't, signs come down, signs go up, many people might complain about the same sign... it's a mess to take in the reports and organize them.
I split it into two complaint forms: one with a phone number and one without (mostly for wheatpaste and political signs).
If they can't give me a phone number right away, I send them to the non-phone report. They fill out an "interview" that offers them a chance to tell me about the sign and to give me a photo if they got one of the sign. I strongly encourage people to send in pictures of them, because that helps out later.
Once they do that, I create a "sign report". No location info is on it, just the sign itself. Then they have to fill out a "location report" and tell me where the thing was, whether they took it down, what it is mounted on, etc (it's actually important because the laws have loopholes that make some mountings legal).
Now if someone else comes to my site and puts in the same phone number, instead of filling out the sign report I show them a list of signs with pictures that match the phone number. If they recognize the sign they click on the picture. If there is a match all they have to do is give me a location and move along. That makes it easy to put in hundreds of locations for the same sign all at once.
When they put in the location I also give them a Google Map and give them a chance to correct mistakes.
Once they save a location I use geocoding to get a GPS location and the full complete address and then a geocode of the closest cross street (i.e. 4rd St & Sassafras St). That eliminates a problem with the city's 3-1-1 system where they throw out tickets because the complainant didn't provide an exact location.
On top of that I am putting the finishing touches on an iPhone app and soon to start work on a Droid app for smart phones. Same process except it's sped up because now I don't need you to tell me where the sign is, I can get it off your phone's GPS when you take the picture.
Once the mobile apps are done I plan to go back to the media to ask them to run the story so people will download the apps on their phones. The people posting signs in the database right now are hardcore community volunteers and leaders. I'd like the mobile app in the hands of every pissed-off resident of Philadelphia where I get dozens, if not hundreds, of new records, daily.
Since the fines here are $75-$300 per sign, another site change I have planned soon is to put a "Jerry's Kids" telethon number counter on the website masthead that shows how much $$$$ in fines the City is not collecting. Since Philly is dancing with bankruptcy, that outta put a real stink in the Mayor's eye.
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