Why are we doing this?
From Katrina Help Info
Power of Community
The Katrina PeopleFinder Project mobilized hundreds if not thousands of volunteers (we don't actually know since we haven't had time to count) to make an immediate difference following hurricane Katrina. That immediate difference is at http://www.katrinalist.net/, a centralized, searchable list of almost 100,000 PeopleFinder Interchange Format-compliant, volunteer-entered, missing and found persons reports from more than 45 different websites, forums and media services.
Some other key points about why KatrinaList.net is mission critical:
1] Microsoft (and thus the Red Cross) wants our data to incorporate into their framework and offer a more comprehensive resource for searchers;
2] KatrinaSafe is concentrating on data from shelters and ignoring data from the web input by people looking for their missing loved ones. This is probably a good decision for them but data collected on the web is still important; especially to those who are still searching (i.e. they won't be in a rescue or shelter database, per se, unless they've reported in);
3] Nobody else is going to compile and de-dupe data from the web comprehensively, it is up to us and perfectly suited to an army of volunteers;
4] KatrinaSafe is only going to alert family members when survivors are found. There are lots of other valuable things we can do such as putting people in contact with each other who are looking for the same person;
5] Microsoft won't be around for all disasters, but disasters are going to continue to happen, worldwide. The lessons we are learning from Katrina will help other cities / states / nations streamline and shortcut the process.
6] The tools and techniques we are developing are replicable and available worldwide via Open Source distribution not tied to proprietary software models; and
7] It is People Powered. It is a clear demonstration of a worldwide "Can Do" spirit and exemplifies our progressive values of grassroots, distributed organizing. On September 5th alone, volunteers entered 60,000 missing persons from forums across the web. Over the Labor Day weekend, almost 2,000 volunteers were mobilized to coordinate, check and input data.
We have much more to do, we just don't quite have enough cycles and resources to do it. If you can help us full-time, please research what we are doing on the email list archives and the wiki. Then roll up your sleeves, pick a task and get it done. It will be a little chaotic around here until there are the same faces working full time on these issues.
If you can't devote full-time, that is fine too :)
The Red Cross survivor database serves a different purpose with different outcomes from efforts here.
Official central database on evacuees is http://www.katrinasafe.org/ All peoplefinder data is provided to that site so evacuees can search a single database. Peoplefinder database will still be used for various projects. --Geilhufe 23:41, 8 Sep 2005 (EDT)
In the first week after the storm, Red Cross database grew in part by registering people that were located and documented first with this data. So, these efforts also help the efforts of the Red Cross. One aim is to match the data collected here with Red Cross and refugee centers.
These efforts include the recording of data that's in an unstructured form. The filter helpers here have helped the data become more functional.
These efforts should handle inquiries from people searching for people who are "lost.'
Reports of people who are okay are listed here. The Red Cross might overlap in showing people who are okay, but they won't necessarily have specifics on who (relatives, friends etc.) might be looking for those people.
Some folks may never go to the Red Cross for help. They can be listed here.
The meaningful search functionality brewing here will span many borders and data sets.
The Red Cross database is from the International organization, not American. The weight of the domestic crisis might strain that capacity and hinder important efforts of finding people elsewhere in the world.
Want to edit this text?
Please add your comments or suggestions in the disucussion area. Thanks!
--Liza 14:01, 6 Sep 2005 (EDT)
