Internet Solutions to the problem of reconnecting people after an upheaval.
This page is for comments with ideas about how the internet could help with the problem. Click here to look at, add to the definition of the problem.
Some exist! Click here for "Answers so far" Reviewing them may help you see things we could do better.
What should the URL be for the effort? If some big organization stepped up to the job, it would be a big help. Who is going to remember something like....
www.sheepdogsoftware.schtuff/katrina << (no such webpage, by the way)
.... but, if they wanted to help, something like....
katrina.ibm.com << (again: no such webpage (at 9/05), just an illustration.)
... would work a lot better! It could go in those "ticker lines" flowing across the bottom of TV screens quite well.
To protect victims from further abuse:
a) The easily viewed data should be kept to a minimum... sufficient to identify the victim to readers, to distinguish them from all others of the same name.
b) A "trap door" mechanism should exist to allow them to respond, give further information, just to those they want to have it. Perhaps one of the big ISPs could step up with some system of temporary email boxes?
c) Some information should, probably, be available to the public, e.g. "I'm okay, broadly speaking." This could ease the conjestion on communications channels. At the same time, it would be necessary to get around the old problem of "survivor lists": For every person reporting "I'm okay", the anguish is increased for someone who's looking for someone who's not yet said "I'm okay". I think the world has become big enough that we have to sacrifice the trouble of the few for the sake of the many... but how do we design the system to minimise the sacrifice?
Some solutions will entail databases. Please click here to discuss the fields which would be good