Please briefly introduce yourself.

I’m Howard Wu, the founder of Good Ideas Studio. I’m a software engineer based in Tainan. I pursue a lot of side projects in my spare time, and somehow, my face mask map went viral. It all began with the government’s restrictions on face mask sales back in January. The only places that could sell face masks were convenience stores. However, most stores were constantly out of stock, and people often had to visit a dozen or more stores before they could lay their hands on a mask. I thought, if only there were a platform where people could share information about which stores had face masks in stock and which didn’t. I saw a few Facebook groups doing something of the sort, but they were limited to their respective neighborhoods, so I decided to do it on a larger scale by creating a platform for everyone in Taiwan to share this information and save people the time and hassle of having to travel from one convenience store to another.

Have you noticed an increasing amount of misinformation pertaining to face masks?

Certainly. In the beginning, only convenience stores could sell face masks. Because these stores are privately owned, the map did not have access to firsthand information and had to rely on information submitted by the general public. Naturally, such information was not 100% accurate due to the lack of real-time updates or malicious data manipulation by a small number of trolls. However, this problem was solved when more people began using the system. For example, many users might report that face masks were in stock at a certain location with only a few reporting otherwise. But this all depended on the number of people using the system.

What changes did you make to the map when the new rationing system was introduced?

For starters, the distribution channels changed from convenience stores to NHI-contracted pharmacies. People now have to purchase masks with their NHI card, so that the government can collect data on who purchased how many masks as well as the quantity of masks remaining at each location. The government provides an API for the public to query the number of masks available, so the accuracy of the map is greatly improved. There might still be some discrepancies between the information shown on the map and the actual situation, though. For example, some pharmacies hand out number tickets to people lining up for masks. So a user might find that there are no tickets left, even though technically the masks haven’t sold out yet. But all in all, I believe it is a great improvement over the first iteration of the map.

Did you develop the map on your own, or did you work with other civic organizations?

I developed the first version by myself. I didn’t have much to work with—I didn’t have the addresses for all the convenience stores or accurate data on the number of masks they had in stock at any given time. So the first thing I needed to do was to compile a list of store locations for the four major convenience store chains and overlay them on Google Maps. I had no way of knowing the exact number of masks in the shop inventories, so the system relied on community reporting. The second version was a concerted effort between myself, the government, the g0v.tw initiative, Google Developer Group Tainan, and more than 1,000 engineers. It was really a group effort. And in truth, we were not alone in doing this. There are more than 130 applications out there that provide information on face mask rationing, and around 60 of them have map functionality built in. It’s great to see that people are taking advantage of the open data/APIs provided by the government.

What specific difficulties did you face for the two versions of the face mask map?

Cost was the top concern for the first version. Google Maps charges developers for monthly overages, so the map could run up some serious bills if a lot of people used it. Thankfully, Google and several Internet giants started a support program in which free credits were issued to projects related to COVID-19 prevention, so this first problem was solved. As for the current version, I would say the biggest challenge is the lack of a streamlined reporting system. The government’s open APIs enable hundreds of apps to share the latest information, but there isn’t a dedicated channel for reporting bugs, submitting feedback, etc. Neither the pharmacies nor the general public are able to raise an issue when a map is showing incorrect or outdated information. In other words, there is no direct cooperation between pharmacies, the government, and developers.

How much traffic does the face mask map receive? How is the user response?

The service has been used by 180,000 unique users in the past three months. We know from the analytics that most of them are repeat visitors. At its peak, the service sees up to 150,000 visitors per day. User response has been quite positive so far. In terms of regional differences, Taipei has the highest population density, so it remains difficult to get a face mask there; in Tainan however, I believe the service has greatly improved the availability of masks. A few journalists have experimented with the service, and they’ve all found the map to be accurate.

Do you think the map has solved the problem of having to line up for face masks?

Yes, if I do say so myself. It does not guarantee that you will absolutely find a mask, but at least it tells you beforehand whether pharmacies near you have masks in stock or not.

Do you find social media to be a boost or a hindrance in promoting the service?

The map would not have been possible without social media, as without the collective power of the general public, the government probably wouldn’t have released the data, and it would have been difficult to recruit IT talent to join the project. I would say social media apps such as Facebook and LINE chat were more important in the earlier stages, but traditional media and news channels were what really gave the service exposure later on. The truth is, there is an abundance of open data projects in Taiwan, but very few of them have received the amount of attention we’ve gotten. I think the map is a perfect example that shows that you can help make a difference in others’ lives even if you don’t know how to code. It also shows how meaningful open data can be when the government and the people work together.

What’s your stance on how the government handles misinformation about masks?

I think the government did a good job in disseminating information. Because many people use the face mask map regularly, we also send out push notifications to our users to promote awareness of disease prevention, clear up common misconceptions about the pandemic, and stop the spread of misinformation. If I could change something, it would probably be the amount of information being announced in the news cycle. Sometimes there is just too much to process, and things can change quite rapidly. For example, the government has changed the days on which masks are available to certain people based on the last digit of their ID number, the number of masks a person can purchase each week, and the applications in which masks can be pre-ordered.

What would you say to other countries that want to replicate the face mask map?

First, information must be shared through a means that is accessible to the general public.

Second, you must be able to get hold of inventory data. To do this, you must have thorough knowledge of the distribution channels in your country. Most face mask distributors are private companies, and they have to be willing to share their data for the map to work. I think we can all learn a lesson or two from South Korea. Every pharmacy there has a computer into which customers can enter their resident registration number (RRN) to check mask availability. The point is, as long as people are willing to work together, a solution can always be found regardless of whether big corporations are willing to share their data or not. Four or five groups of people from Hong Kong reached out to me almost simultaneously to inquire about whether they could copy the map for Hong Kong, but the challenge for them was the need to rely on community reporting due to a lack of inventory data. So they had another idea, which was to turn the app into a supply donation and demand map. That is, those who are willing to donate to suppliers or have spare masks can register with the app so that resources can be distributed to those in need. Meanwhile, those who actually have mask inventory data are still welcome to share such information.

Speaking of South Korea and Hong Kong, do you think other countries are doing something right that we can learn from?

Of course, like mask pre-ordering systems, cruise ship passenger tracking, and electronic quarantine monitors. But in all frankness, most of these policies, particularly electronic monitoring and mask pre-ordering, involve sensitive personal information and therefore must be led by the government, and it is nearly impossible for the private sector to get involved. I hope that the mask map can show people the possibilities that exist when people invest their time and effort into something meaningful for society at large. Other countries may have more advanced technology, but people seem to have been passively waiting for their governments to do something. I haven’t heard that many good examples in other countries, and for those few examples that I do know of, I believe there are people doing similar things in Taiwan.

What do you think the average person can do to reduce information asymmetry?

I think the amount of information a person receives is related to his or her social involvement. If everyone got involved, there would be no information asymmetry. For this reason, elderly people living alone are more likely to fall victim to fake news. If they are willing to, say, exercise more in the park and interact with other people, then they will be more likely to hear different opinions and perspectives. In an unexpected way, the “mask chaos” actually brought people closer than ever. As we stand in line for our masks, we feel like we are all helping in the fight against COVID-19, while at the same time we gain more opportunities to receive information from a broad spectrum of sources.

Of the government’s efforts at pandemic prevention, medical labor reform, and public health advocacy, which do you think has the most room for improvement?

The degree of efficiency when it comes to coordinating with the private sector It’s a miracle that the face mask map succeeded. It wouldn’t have worked as well as it did if any of the contributors had not been present. I want to thank Minister without Portfolio Audrey Tang in particular, who was authorized by the Executive Yuan to set up a cross-departmental initiative with the goal of making the relevant data available to everybody. This greatly increased the efficiency of government-private sector collaboration. Can Taiwan do something similar again in the future? It might be difficult, but at least now we know it’s possible. Speaking from my own personal experience, working with the government is not a difficult thing in itself, but it does take a lot of communication and patience to work out the kinks before things can get accomplished. The role of the private sector is equally important. At the end of the day, open API would be meaningless if no one in the community was willing to put in the work.