Andy Carvin wrote: > Rose Vines of New Orleans just posted this to Omidyar.net. She's given > me permission to disseminate her messages online, and I wanted to > share this one in particular because she addresses how SMS text > messaging has made all the difference in reaching people. -andy
The Alert Retrieval Cache concept would have worked well. I'll toss in here what I sent to someone who requested my help with setting something up: Taran Rampersad wrote: >The ARC server is irrelevant since this is in one country - and in fact, >localized to cities. For anything to work, and assuming that >telecommunication providers, aid agencies, military and civil services >will cooperate, the following has to be done: > >(1) Get the local telecommunications providers to set up for one number >(SMS in digits makes sense; 767) to route SMS messages to an email >mailing list. It's that simple; an email list would have to be created >but anyone can do that. >(2) All agencies should subscribe to that list. This is where the >initial ARC failed. It was working, but nobody USED it. There's a >history there that still makes me angry, but let's just say that this is >a major stumbling block. >(3) Media should inform the public that if they are safe, they should >not respond to any SMS messages. Threaten to throw them out of the >stadium or something. Then a broadcast SMS message should be sent >identifying 767 as the emergency SMS system where people can dial in, >tell their location and whatever else. > >This system can be merged with HAM radio operators as well. There is >existing software for that, but SMS is the lowest common denominator. > >If this isn't done within the first 72 hours, it just doesn't make >sense. From what I understand, this is a Homeland Security managed >operation and they've gone so far as to have SEALs out there. Cell phone >batteries may be near death, if not dead. I'm actually appalled that >this hasn't been done yet. In fact, I'm pretty upset about it, but... if >a few more lives can be saved, then so be it. You'll note that there is >nothing here that requires us to do something. > The background here is that, after the tsunami, the ARC team had problems getting word to the agencies involved - including even the volunteer organization SEAEAT, which was something that disgusted at least 2 of us. I'm still disgusted with that. We were on BBC's 'The World', and being given credit for something that worked - but was never used by any agencies so that we could see it in use. We didn't do it for the glory. We did it to try to make a difference, and in that we failed. So when I get emails about the ARC now from people who don't have the ability to actually put the systems into *use*, it all comes back. The system is so simple that there's no excuse for it not being used - and credit for it goes back over 10 years, with various NGOs and governments writing academic papers which are lost in the seas of academic papers, filed under the 'Great Theory But Lacks Follow-Through'. So in 72 hours, we did it. Dan Lane did most of the technical side, because he dealt with SMS every day. In fact, it took longer to find Dan than it did to put the thing into *production*. So here's the challenge. Get someone who can affect the change at the meta-disaster level, and you can get systems like ARC to work. I believe it's too late for this disaster - which has sparked new challenges of security and so forth. But if people want SMS to be a real value in disaster warning and rescue operations, you need to be like the water that broke the levy. Either a lot of pressure at one point, or overwhelming pressure at all points. Take the time, spread the information above. Maybe next time this will happen in your area... and maybe it will be allowed to make a difference. I don't want credit. I want to see it done. -- 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.
