Right on, Mike. You're a hero, creative and knowledgeable enough to do something in the face of the worst national disaster in centuries; whereas most others in the world are able only to sit stunned, watching others who take on the burden. Unfortunately, some watchers-on find fulfillment in jealously naysaying what they are not able to do themselves.
Best wishes and count on me to support you. Rafael --- Mike Outmesguine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The discussions over the past couple days here have > been surprising to me. > If we don't know the value of wireless, who does? I > can imagine wireless > networks in the area helping with local and global > communications, > logisitics, tele-medicine, news and alerts, and the > million other uses for > computer-to-computer connections. > > I don't have all the answers. And since I don't > have unlimited funds or a > high traffic web page to collect 8 million dollars > in 5 days I chose to help > in the way I can. I do know wireless, and I'm not a > bad manager of > resources. > > While we sit here in sunny Los Angeles, it is hard > to know exactly what > people might need over the thousands of square miles > of damaged areas. If > they do need wireless, why not let them know that > someone can help. Just in > case. > > Afterall, the only people in the damaged area who > really know what they > need, are the people in the damaged area. The > people have spoken. THEY > WANT OUR HELP. > > So, after less than 72 hours since making the > announcement "Post-Tsunami > Reconnect: Disaster Relief with Wireless" this is a > sample of what people > have asked from us: > > " > informed me about your intentions, which might be > very > interesting for our Sri Lankan friend in Unawatuna, > whose IT Cafe > got washed away by the tsunami wave. > > He is a very couragous young man, who had saved > lives and who is > the most competent IT man in Unawatuna, a village on > the coast near > heavily destroyed Galle on the South Coast. > > we are trying to raise funds in order to rebuild and > improve his IT facilities, which could be used by > the soon arriving and > badly > required aid workers. > > we are currently looking at any interesting > suggestion that > could help to improve facilities in the region, in > particular in conjunction > with wireless solutions. > > Perhaps you will find it interesting to support the > people of world village > Unawatuna. > " > > " > I am currently living in Colombo, Sri Lanka and have > just > read your blog on thewirelessweblog from december 29 > > Some current efforts to identify and help people who > are > stranded in camps are based on privately manned call > centers > in Colombo that are working with the the mobile > phone > network providers to locate incoming call locations > through > triangulation - about 2500 were located by last > night from a > list of 10000 roaming numbers > > some other efforts are trying to coordinate the > closest > resources to provide relief, by contacting local > people by > mobile phone (a few base stations were provided > generators) > through government provided lists, and recording > their > impressions about what is available and needed.. > > if perhaps a person was sent to each camp or > location with > equipment that made it possible for communication to > be > continuous and at high levels - between the camps > and > central agencies in a peer-to-peer basis - so that > they > could take all people-contact enquiries as well as > make > requests for help and provide relief from a local > perspective.. > " > > " > A bunch of friend from Jakarta will be leaving to go > to Nias & Banyak Island > on the western part of Sumatera, (East Southeast of > the Quake epicenter) one > of the area that was devastated (closest small > Island from the epicenter). > From what I gather Nias is mostly forgotten, most of > the rescue & recovery > effort are concentrated in Sumatera mainland. > > They have people in the field but there is no > communication in or out of the > area. (mostly Cell phone with most network down) if > you have any equipment > that can help them, they will appreciate it. > " > > >
