App chance to have say on Endeavour models

One of the two new Endeavour ship models which have proved a contentious issue. File picture

Tairawhiti residents are clearly not in the same boat over the proposed installation of the rebuilt Endeavour models but a social feedback app might help clarify how and what the local populace feels about them.

A protest yesterday morning outside the Gisborne District Council administration building was prompted by a lack of consultation with iwi about the models of British explorer James Cook's ship.

The original models were raised in 1969 as part of the bicentenary celebrations of Cook's landfall in New Zealand.

The Riposte app, built by Gisborne data analyst Debs Hancock, is designed to provide a real-time barometer of the community's state of being, but can be used to ask for feedback on particular topics, such as the Endeavour models, says Mrs Hancock.

“A key difference of the Riposte app is people can contribute privately but their data is included anonymously in the analysis.

“Creating a channel for all voices to come through is important, particularly for sensitive topics that might be difficult for people to talk about.”

While the Riposte app can be used to contribute to a database indicating how people in Tairawhiti feel about reinstallation of the Endeavour models, it does not function as a referendum or voting platform.

“Riposte captures information about how you feel about the models. It's more about experiences and less about opinions,” says Mrs Hancock.

“When you make your post you can put in emoticons, keywords, hashtags or brief comments.”

Abusive language or hate speech can be filtered out by Riposte Analytics' machine learning model. It is not removed completely but it is confined to private comment.

When the data is analysed and interpreted to provide feedback to the community such comments are incorporated into the data analysis. Once the data is analysed Riposte Analytics will submit a report to Gisborne District Council about how people in Tairawhiti feel about the proposed reinstatement of the Endeavour models.

Mayor Rehette Stoltz and councillor Meredith Akuhata-Brown are among those on board with the use of the Riposte app to gauge the community's response to the Endeavour models, says Mrs Hancock.

“Riposte captures the nuances of this complex situation. It allows people to have mixed feelings about it.

“We've designed Riposte to be a safe digital space for people to share their lived experience, and for that information to then be used for positive change within communities.”