Hi, My name is Jim Brazell.
We have refugees from New Orleans and Thibodeaux here in San Antonio. There are shelters forming where refugees have web access. There cell phones are not working. Communication among the displaced is not tied to a common core of services. Can we form a blog for refugees? Does anyone know of a real-time Satellite Company where people can see their property over the web? What is the url for confirmed deaths? Is there a missing or lost web site and search (People, Places and Things). Is there a podcast? Is there a RSS bundle of streams? Audio, Video, Text Jim Brazell Consulting Analyst, Digital Media Collaboratory, IC2.org, UT at Austin -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andrew Pleasant Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 7:46 PM To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group Subject: Re: [DDN] Hurricane Katrina mobcast launched Hi, Given the context, the reply is a bit surprising somehow. Nonetheless, as I understand it, the police radio system has been lost to flooding and lack of power so there is little or no coordination 'on the ground' via those regular channels; e.g. police/ firefighters and the like in the streets are without radio contact. (See http://www.fcw.com/article90541-08-31-05-Web .. which I just found on a quick google search on the issue to somewhat verify what I heard on CNN). Additionally, it seems difficult if not impossible to get information to the thousands wandering about or sitting on top of their roofs. There are many without radios, no tv access (flooded and no power). Oddly enough, I did hear some pay phones downtown were working, but then again also that many cell networks were entirely out of commission. Yes, the media 'parachute in' with high-powered and working (e.g. also not wet or out of power) satellite phones and videophones and battery rechargers. They also have food, water, cans of gasoline, and often travel in groups for added security. They don't seem to be (for whatever reason) going into the projects or the heavily flooded areas where many people live(d). And those not flooded or with sufficient economic clout can likely do the same. Helicopters with bullhorns might, maybe, work but it have you ever heard the amount of noise those helicopters throw off? The rescue crews working on the helicopters mainly communicate by hand signal - not radio - because it is so loud. So, I'd say it seems at least in part a technology issue as well. There may be boats and truck loads full of technology. If the technology isn't appropriate or functional in the context, I suppose you can call that a system problem but it strikes me as also a technological one. But then again making a distinction between technology and social/political/economic systems is inherently problematic to begin with. However, I am quite sure that the communication issue, agency crosstalk, you refer to is unfortunately rampant as well. ap >Andrew Pleasant wrote: > >> New Orleans official (I think the chief of police but not entirely >> sure) just told CNN, "The biggest problem we are having right now is >> communications." >> >> ap > >I dunno. I'm seeing videophones capturing images on television, which >implies not only that cellular networks are up, but that they are >relatively undamaged. The communication itself seems like a system >problem. The National Guard is there, the Coast Guard is there, the >Police are there >(http://www.nola.com/hurricane/t-p/katrina.ssf?/hurricane/katrina/stori >es/html/LOOT31.html >) and so on. FEMA's there, the CDC, and of course the Department of >Homeland Security. With the amount of technology available through all >of these groups, it's hard to say that the communications problem is >technical. Helicopters with bullhorns would work, if you think about it. > >Of course, the people with real problems that are still there - the >handicapped/sick/aged - would need to be looked for door-to-door, which >with the manpower available is not a very large issue, though time is >of the essence. But the people who are left behind... the >socio-economically disadvantaged - they don't have weblogs, they >probably don't have cell phones and they probably don't have access to >regular phones (if the landlines are still working). > >Yeah, the problem is communication probably - but that's not a >technology issue, I think. I think it's all the crosstalk between all >the agencies. It might be a regular Charlie Foxtrot when it comes to >who's in charge of what... > >-- >Taran Rampersad >Presently in: Georgetown, Guyana >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://www.knowprose.com >http://www.easylum.net http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/Taran > >"Criticize by creating." - Michelangelo > >_______________________________________________ >DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list >DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org >http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide >To unsubscribe, send a message to >[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in >the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message. _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
