Helping the homeless by mapping their faeces - say what?

A screen capture of Jennifer Wong's interactive "(Human) Wasteland" mapping project, which tracks complaints about public defecations in San Francisco, so that local authorities are better able to target the needs of the homeless.

Jennifer Wong has found a way determine where the homeless need the most help – by mapping where they defecate on the streets of San Francisco.

Wong, a Web developer, used a city database to create the interactive maps, which she dubbed (Human) Wasteland. They dramatically illustrate the problem of homelessness in a city of sharp divides between rich and poor. Wong’s maps won a competition at work. She donated some of her winnings to a project that provides mobile toilets and showers to the homeless.