Yahoo has a list of the lists of missing. We still need a better way to deal with this if not in one place then through one tool. But this is a start. I’ve been emailing with Elizabeth Osder of Yahoo on this, who has good ideas on how to make this work.
How about a national 1-800-IAM-SAFE phone number.
This could be used during any national disaster like scenario. Volunteers could man the phones around the country in times of tragedy allowing for a list of those who’ve survived / found safety etc. to be set up and accessible via both internet and phone. Does anyone know if something like this has ever been implemented previously?
if you go to the yahoo lists you cannot search them. wow. a *seach* function would be a good place to start.
I agree that a better system is needed (the Yahoo list isn’t comprehensive — msnbc.com has a “found” and “lookingfor” list also — and more are coming online all the time). You figure FEMA would be the most likely agency to keep track of missing persons from disasters like this… but do we really want them to?
ROC-
Here is the hurricane board search page on yahoo: http://boards.news.yahoo.com/boards/
Not obvious but it is there.
To clarify that last comment about FEMA: I meant do we want FEMA to be responsible for this information after their abysmal track record of handling other data from past emergencies. *smack*
MSNBC’s list: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9159961/
I am willing to donate NewOrleansCitizen.com url to Yahoo’s efforts
I’ve been asking about this since day one. At this point, even a registration database as people are bused out or as they check into shelters outside NOLA would be fantastic. And yes, of course, a searchable database that uploads to the Internet. Unfortunately the whole story about New Orleans has been No Planning, No Preparation. I just posted about that in response to a question from my nephew who just called asking about my Sister who is still adrift somewhere in that madness and chaos.
Jeff,
Thanks for talking about my idea to create a single database of the missing.
I wrote it in more detail at my Yahoo 360 site.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-WMflWgg.aKJxN7ddK4U-
I’d love to help, but we need to gather the right skills & resources from the network to create, host and coordinate efforts.
This is a tool for the long haul and could demonstrate the profound power of content in concert with technology — open-source development meets life saving data and information in a time of need.
Be well friends,
Elizabeth
[...] Missing: Yahoo has the list (BuzzMachine) [...]
There is no darn way in this day and age a solid centralized dbase for missing persons can not be built and ran. No I do not want the goverment to run it. The red-tape would be a nightmare. In the past we have tried (and tried) to talk to the Red Cross and other groups about building one for times like this. Everytime we got a blow off. The RC couldn’t get it’s head out of it fanny long enough to understand how it would really serve the public good.
It wouldn’t be that darn hard to do.
[...] Jeff Jarvis comments on the complete lack of a single point of information for missing persons from the Katrina emergency. This is one of those “duh” common sense items that FEMA seems to completely miss. [...]