For those who are interested in the Internet's responses to disasters, here's something you may wish to attend, hosted by Jerry Michalski and Pip Coburn. Incidently they've both been to Bombay - I spent some nice moments with Pip at Juhu beach - he insisted on walking barefoot, and with Jerry by the sea front and then peeking into his 'brain' !

Internet Reponses to Disasters
Yi-Tan Weekly Tech Call #50
Monday, September 12,  2005

From the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center through the Asian tsunami and the recent hurricane disaster in New Orleans, Internet communities have evolved increasingly sophisticated and useful response mechanisms. Blogs, wikis, photo-sharing sites and other services have been put to use to improve rescue efforts,help collect relief funds, find missing persons and structure recovery efforts.

Because these responses harness the newest features of the Net around focused, important activities, they are a good barometer of what works on the Net and harbingers of what that might mean for other spheres, such as mainstream media, response agencies, participative design, citizen mobilization and more.

Starting with a review of the relief efforts after disasters from 9/11 to the present and accompanied by friends who participated closely in Net relief efforts, we'll discuss issues such as:

• What have we learned from event to event? How are the responses improving?
• What is missing? What would responders like to do that they can't do yet?
• How is this changing the dynamics of disaster relief?

Our guests for this call will be Dina Mehta, Sascha Meinrath and Ed Vielmetti. Please check out (and add to) our Chronology of Net Responses to Disasters.

As always, an IRC Chat will be available during the call, here.

Date:    Monday, September 12, 2005

Time:    10:30 PDT, 1:30 EDT