[Katrina-IT-Volunteers] many comments/questions

[emily bromberg]

Hi all...

Some questions/comments:

**FEMA site.  
-- According to InformationWeek: "To file a claim online at FEMA's
Individual Assistance Center, where citizens can apply for government
help, the browser must be IE 6.0 or later with JavaScript enabled..." 
Carl w/ CTM said that we shouldn't change the IE settings because they
wont be saved after the machine is rebooted.  Also, the problems that
we've been experiencing are likely due to high traffic as opposed to
the version of IE/settings being used.  (Though, after adding fema.gov
to the trusted sites list and making sure all the security settings
were enabled, including scripting, the red-x-instead-of-images problem
on the fema registration page seemed to go away. Could have been
unrelated, but we should probably check with someone before doing this
all the time.)  Ironically, that InformationWeek article was posted to
Slashdot, which likely increased the traffic to fema.gov....

-- I was helping someone create an ISACCS account to check on the
status of his fema app, and after logging in it said something to the
effect that he wasn't eligible for fema reimbursement, but would be
receiving a SBA application in the mail.  Fema's site says "SBA
Applications Are for Both Individuals and Business Owners", but I was
under the impression that all of the evacuees were to receive the
$2000 reimbursement.  I suggested that he call fema to inquire about
receiving reimbursement through them as well -- I didn't know what
else to do.  Any information about this?  Also, will the fema people
be here next week as well, so we can refer people to them if there are
these kinds of issues? (And, as I've just learned from the FAQ,
because folks should be sent to talk to the fema people anyway after
registering online.)

**Yahoo error 999
Apparently, "It appears that Yahoo uses your IP address to track the
amount of traffic you're generating on Yahoo, and once you reach the
limit you get blocked by the Unable to process request at this time --
error 999 message. Once triggered you will find that your IP address
has been blocked for a period of time somewhere between 2 and 24
hours."  (from http://www.murraymoffatt.com/software-problem-0011.html)
 The system is in place to prevent DOS (Denial of service attacks). 
My  roommate suggested that we call Yahoo and explain that there are
many Katrina survivors at the convention center attempting to access
yahoo mail from the same outgoing IP address, and that we're getting
locked out.  They might be able to make the IP exempt from this
protection mechanism. Or, we could skip this step and login in the
secure mode, as others have suggested...

**Those ingenious slips of paper
Amazingly helpful.  My printer can do double sided, so I'll bring in a
bunch of copies when I come in on Monday.  We could potentially add a
space the PO box number to help condense all of the necessary
information.  And so as to ensure that folks always use the same
address if they're talking to the Red Cross or fema, etc.

Security issues...  I've been having people use their 4 digit year of
birth as their fema pin since it's non-case-sensitive, short, and
simple.  Yes, having people carry around pieces of paper with all of
their information and passwords isn't exactly the picture of security,
but I think in these circumstances -- the chaos, the immediacy of the
situation, and the fact that many of the folks we're helping don't
have a lot experience with computers and the Internet -- it's the only
choice that we have.

** The person looking for Carlota.
I looked around a lot, and couldn't find any reference to Carlota
(Smith or Winfield).  I tried different sites, spellings, etc.. The
only site I could find that uses ID numbers is katrinasafe, but it did
not recognize the ID.  The only explanation I can think of is that the
information on the slip of paper was unrelated -- the volunteer wrote
"locate person" since that's the button you hit on katrinasafe to find
people. Grr.

It's so frustrating trying to help people and realizing that we appear
to be part of the bureaucracy and red tape that's hindering people
from getting help.  The fema site being flaky, getting half way
through a form only get an error and have to start over, sending
people to lines they think they've already stood in, etc..  At least
we're trying, though.

-Emily

(btw, did anyone come prepared with tomatoes to throw at Chaney on Saturday?)