Hello municipality, what you doing?

Whatsapp all the way

WhatsApp. Everybody’s using it. To send a quick text to a friend or start a group conversation. It’s all possible. But have you already heard of municipalities using WhatsApp?

Appcare

What is it? The municipalities call it Appcare. Appcare means webcare, but via WhatsApp. Webcare has become really popular. Via Webcare, people can ask questions to companies about different things (Mobile company’s also use it a lot). But now, municipalities are using it, via WhatsApp. Other municipalities than Terneuzen and Lelystad were already using it. It seems that (according to research for social media (source untraceable)) 11 procent of 393 municipalities are using WhatsApp for the inhabitants of the municipalities.

Always in touch

Why is it cool? They (the municipalities) inform inhabitants about important things like roadwork. In this way people are informed about things they need to now. Using WhatsApp to notify people is very smart, because people nowadays have their smartphones nearby. In this way people won’t miss any information. You can say that it’s a bad thing people are using their smartphones all day long, but in this case it’s very clever! Nobody will miss a message and people can ask several questions via WhatsApp.

Future

Ofcourse there are always people who want to screw up a system like this. On Facebook, Twitter etc. are already a couple of forums for questions. Everybody could read them and answer, which wasn’t always positive. People sent messages which had nothing to do with important stuff. Via WhatsApp, conversations are very personal so much better. In my other blogposts i’m telling about the importance of putting your phone away and create an ‘offline’ future, but this is the other side of the story. Because of the huge use of technology nowadays, the world also gets a lot easier. Municipalities can (with things like Appcare) inform their inhabitants about things they need to now. Before, they had to send letters to everyone, but in this way everyone get’s informed really quick and cheap! I think it’s a great first step towards the future. The idea for Appcare can really make a difference for how we’ll live in five years. I am in favour.

Sources:

http://www.binnenlandsbestuur.nl/digitaal/nieuws/terneuzen-gaat-door-met-whatsapp.9450278.lynkx

http://www.frankwatching.com/archive/2015/09/10/appen-gemeente-terneuzen-en-lelystad-delen-whatsapp-ervaringen/

#TogethernessandInline