Slashdot Mirror
Using Technology to Find Missing Children?
GregAllen asks: "We live in a world where technology provides us global communication and instant gratification. The internet has made the world a much smaller place, and news travels at the speed of electrons.
However, it's still pretty easy to hide. There is an epidemic in the U.S. -- the government estimates that there are 350,000 family kidnapping per year. You never think it will happen to you, but it did happen to me -- my ex-wife kidnapped our daughter and has been missing for almost 6 months. She's wanted by the FBI, but she hasn't been found. See the Find Sabrina website -- there's a $10K reward. When you are confronted with this situation, the world is an overwhelmingly large place. How would the alpha geeks at Slashdot use technology to locate someone that doesn't want to be found?" While putting up a website to assist in the search helps, are there other digital methods one can employ to assist in the search?
1.) Make very good friends with her mother (or anybody that she is likely to contact.)
2.) Lie. This is unfortunate, but necessary. She's lying about you. Lie to that relative about her, and the dangers she presents to your child. Fabricate proof.
3.) Tell the relative that you aren't interested in going to the authorities or even taking your daughter away from her mother. Give messages to the relative to pass on to your daughter, "just in case you hear from her mother."
4.) Wait. Eventually there will be contact. Don't try to take your daughter back yourself, but don't fully trust the police either. Before contacting the authorities, personally make sure that you have direct exact knowledge of your daughter's position so that the mother can't get away in case the police bumble.
I am only suggesting something this extreme because you say that your daughter is in real danger.
Anyone thinking about replying with 5.)??? 6.) Profit to this post needs serious mental help.
I'm not sure what the requisites are for the program, but you should check out the Abmer Plan. It's a national alert system using highway signs, media announcements, and I believe even AOL is issueing alerts for opted in members. It's designed for rapid announcements in the first hours and days of a kidnapping, but it might be helpful, especially if you get information on where she might be.