Comments on: Help Find Steve Fossett http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805 Feel Smart Again Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:59:48 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Higgins http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-24325 Higgins Mon, 17 Sep 2007 22:17:05 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-24325 Larissa - agreed! I can even imagine a world in which there was some near-standard way to make a distress signal -- for example, if people knew to make some figure (say, a triangle) of certain minimum dimensions, out of fallen logs or some such. That way you wouldn't even need people to view the images -- just write a good application to scan images and look for the pattern. Anyway, yeah, I think this is a big part of the future of search-and-rescue. Larissa – agreed! I can even imagine a world in which there was some near-standard way to make a distress signal — for example, if people knew to make some figure (say, a triangle) of certain minimum dimensions, out of fallen logs or some such. That way you wouldn’t even need people to view the images — just write a good application to scan images and look for the pattern. Anyway, yeah, I think this is a big part of the future of search-and-rescue.

]]> By: Larissa http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-24324 Larissa Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:47:17 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-24324 I think this might take us in interesting directions, at least. As technology gets better, imagine how many people could help in future searches! Not only airplanes, but maybe people lost in the woods, etc. Grid an area, find people willing to volunteer and search via the internet, get that area's images updated, and have maybe ten people look over one square or something. I don't know how practical it would be, but it's an interesting thought, nonetheless. Sure would help the rescuers if someone could spot the location. I think this might take us in interesting directions, at least. As technology gets better, imagine how many people could help in future searches! Not only airplanes, but maybe people lost in the woods, etc. Grid an area, find people willing to volunteer and search via the internet, get that area’s images updated, and have maybe ten people look over one square or something. I don’t know how practical it would be, but it’s an interesting thought, nonetheless. Sure would help the rescuers if someone could spot the location.

]]> By: Melissa http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23578 Melissa Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:25:17 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23578 Oh, wait a minute. I think I figured out why they need all that info. I looked further into this Mechanical Turk thing. Apparently, the Fossett search isn't the only task they're running, and some of the tasks are ones people get paid to work on, so the account that it wants me to set up is related to those I guess. It makes sense now. I think I'm going to go ahead and sign up to help. It looks like it's not just random intrusion after all. Oh, wait a minute. I think I figured out why they need all that info. I looked further into this Mechanical Turk thing. Apparently, the Fossett search isn’t the only task they’re running, and some of the tasks are ones people get paid to work on, so the account that it wants me to set up is related to those I guess. It makes sense now. I think I’m going to go ahead and sign up to help. It looks like it’s not just random intrusion after all.

]]> By: Higgins http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23577 Higgins Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:23:14 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23577 Melissa - FWIW, the Amazon Mechanical Turk system is designed for paid tasks. Normally the tasks would pay you an incremental fee for doing something, hence the requests for credit card info and such. The use of the system for charity tasks like this is a bit of a hack. Having said that, I agree, there should be a way to sign up without submitting all that stuff (and just be prevented from doing paid tasks). Melissa – FWIW, the Amazon Mechanical Turk system is designed for paid tasks. Normally the tasks would pay you an incremental fee for doing something, hence the requests for credit card info and such. The use of the system for charity tasks like this is a bit of a hack.

Having said that, I agree, there should be a way to sign up without submitting all that stuff (and just be prevented from doing paid tasks).

]]> By: Melissa http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23576 Melissa Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:20:58 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23576 I wanted to help look, but I'm concerned about the sign up process. It seems to require a lot of personal info, (and a check box with some sort of authorization to debit my bank account?). I don't see how this is relevant to the search. I don't mind sharing a little info, like my name and email,that could be being used to verify that users are live people, and to keep mean spirited people and bots and such from spamming the site and wasting time with frivolous reports. Heck, I wouldn't even mind if they were just going to sell my name and email to spammers to offset operating costs. Email is deletable. But my address, phone number, and possibly authorizing some kind of account to be opened makes me nervous. Amazon should make the search less intrusive. I bet I'm not the only one scared off from helping by the registration process. I wanted to help look, but I’m concerned about the sign up process. It seems to require a lot of personal info, (and a check box with some sort of authorization to debit my bank account?). I don’t see how this is relevant to the search. I don’t mind sharing a little info, like my name and email,that could be being used to verify that users are live people, and to keep mean spirited people and bots and such from spamming the site and wasting time with frivolous reports. Heck, I wouldn’t even mind if they were just going to sell my name and email to spammers to offset operating costs. Email is deletable. But my address, phone number, and possibly authorizing some kind of account to be opened makes me nervous. Amazon should make the search less intrusive. I bet I’m not the only one scared off from helping by the registration process.

]]> By: Janix http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23566 Janix Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:35:32 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23566 We live in a free country. Search for whomever you want to find. As for me, I am still looking for Amelia Earhart ... and my old college roommate. Pat, where are you? We live in a free country. Search for whomever you want to find.

As for me, I am still looking for Amelia Earhart … and my old college roommate.

Pat, where are you?

]]> By: Bassman http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23562 Bassman Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:07:42 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23562 Thanks Rachel. From now on I'll think prerogative/February. That should help me spell it right. ____ Class envy? Was he classy? Could be right. I tend to the clumsy and oafish, myself. ____ Depends how you define winning and losing. ____ Um, you mean your daughter's psychic or something? Thanks Rachel. From now on I’ll think prerogative/February. That should help me spell it right.
____

Class envy? Was he classy? Could be right. I tend to the clumsy and oafish, myself.
____

Depends how you define winning and losing.
____
Um, you mean your daughter’s psychic or something?

]]> By: Leslie Cleland http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23550 Leslie Cleland Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:34:09 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23550 My daughter feels Steve crashed near the Carson Sink and there's nothing left of the plane. For more info contact Kim at Kaanichee1@aol.com. She's usually very accurate. This is important as he is still alive. 9/11/07 My daughter feels Steve crashed near the Carson Sink and there’s nothing left of the plane. For more info contact
Kim at Kaanichee1@aol.com. She’s usually very accurate. This is important as he is still alive. 9/11/07

]]> By: Steve http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23549 Steve Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:29:54 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23549 Losers hate winners. What else is new. Why should we care what they think. They're losers. Losers hate winners. What else is new. Why should we care what they think. They’re losers.

]]> By: Karen http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805/comment-page-1#comment-23541 Karen Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:48:57 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/7805#comment-23541 Wow..what a display of class envy. Why the hate? Wow..what a display of class envy.

Why the hate?

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