***REQUEST: Can you help with data for an IT project for Katrina relief?**

[crispini]

All,
I am working on an IT project for Katrina relief and although I have made my request through "corporate channels" I am hoping that by throwing this request out through DU, the collective magic and brainpower of the internet might help me find what I need somewhere out there on the internet, or that one of you might have personal contacts at companies whom we could ask.

I am looking for a data source for NAMES of people who live in New Orleans. For example, the residential phone white pages would be good start. Or, if you can find the census data for specifically New Orleans and/or the surrounding areas -- again, specifically related to NAMES.

I need this information in ELECTRONIC format, not paper. I require something that can be imported into a database quickly and easily.

Possible sources of this information might be: the census, Bell South, perhaps one of the online white pages websites, etc.

PLEASE do NOT suggest that we look it up on some online site one record at a time. That would be completely unfeasible. We need MASSIVE amounts of raw data that we can easily reformat.

If you have any pointers about where we can get this data, please PM me ASAP. I will be available by phone to have a discussion with you. If your company has such information I can escalate this request and have my executives talk to your executives.

This is a legitimate request -- I am trying to shortcut the red tape and "go horizontal" here using the magic of the internet.

If you don't know how to get what I want you can help by nominating and keeping this kicked. Please do NOT repost this elsewhere as the request is highly time-sensitive. However if you DO know someone who you think might have access to this type of information please bring this to their attention ASAP and help them communicate with me.

I realize that the purpose of this request is rather unclear but if you are the right person I will be happy to tell you the details. I do not wish to divulge the project details publicly on the internet at this time.

Thanks.

[BeTheChange]

1. I think I might be able to help you.

Check your pm. More info forthcoming.

[WolverineDG]

2. Kickin' for Crispy

above all, keep your knees loose....

dg

[Pobeka]

3. I don't have data. But maybe those online credit rating places do?

Just an idea. Good luck with the project, sounds very worthy.

[Carni]

5. Those marketing lists cost a pretty penny

It definitely ain't cheap to buy a list from Dunn and Bradstreet or one of those -- I wonder if they would donate resources for a cause like this? (probably not)

[crispini]

7. oh, they probably would.

you would not BELIEVE some of the stuff that corporate America is coughing up right now, mostly not talked about in the media.

however, unless somebody KNOWS someone at one of those companies, it'll be impossible to reach them until Tuesday. We need this immediately.

[gkhouston]

27. and some of these people might not have much of a credit

profile. The greatest common denominator is probably phone service or driver's license/non-driver's ID. Whose jaw do you have to break to get that stuff? Could you get some cooperation from the governor? Given the goal of the project, I would think some arm-twisting could be arranged.

[Carni]

4. I can do html code

That is about the extent of my skills in IT (pathetic I know)
but if you need someone to do web page work I can help.

[RevCheesehead]

6. You go, girl!

Kickin' for Crispi.... (and her very big heart).

[crispini]

8. thanks sweetpea!

:hug:

[WolverineDG]

9. kickin' again

:)

[CC]

10. kick

[Catchawave]

11. Nice project Crispi !

:kick:

[crispini]

12. kick

:kick:

[Sydnie]

13. Hey Crispi, how about drivers license records?

They should be accessible at the state level and once you explain what you are trying to do, they just might release them to you gratis? They should already be in a database form. Then, because of No Child Left Behind, there should be accessible school records, already in database form as well. I would have your people contact the reps and the senators from there and see if they can't free up the databases for you.

:hug: to you. You are a sweetie!

[crispini]

15. yeah, good thought,

but boy, wouldn't it be hard to get ahold of state officials in Louisiana right now. but if anyone has any contacts we could try unofficially before tuesday it might be worth a shot.

[Horse with no Name]

14. This might work

http://www.switchboard.com/Whitepages/LA/New%20Orleans/search.htm

When the window comes up...type "a" in last name (under the tab "find a person) and it will pull all the last names up with "a"...then just finish out the alphabet.

Hope it helps.

[crispini]

16. yeah, but i can only get those 10 records at a time.

far too much work to be worth anything, it would take forever to pull from there. I need ALL the records, all at once. thanks for the thought though.

[Peace Patriot]

17. Kicked and recommended! Needs another recommend, I believe. n/t

[Berry Cool]

18. It needs to be remembered that not all these people have licenses

because they don't have cars. Still, the DMV probably has files on them because they probably have non-driver's ID.

Also, have you tried a criss-cross directory?

[Cocoa]

19. good luck!

I wish I could help.

[crispini]

20. kick for the night.

i'm gonna crash, i'll check back with ya'll tomorrow.

[NoPasaran]

21. Another kick

:dem:

[sonias]

22. kicking it for you C

Good luck to you!

Sonia

[AuntieM1957]

23. have you thought of contacting the Democratic Party organization

here in Houston, the Party and the Tax Assessor both maintain databases of registered voters by precinct with full address, name and birth date information.

Sorry, I have no idea who to contact locally in NOLA, but perhaps you could start at the state level and see if they have copies of those DBs.

Good Luck

[dooner]

24. public library online reference databases or this url?

Our public library provides access to a number of databases, but don't see what you want. Maybe your library might have something?

I did find this link on our library's site... claims to be the
"largest free public records directory"

http://www.searchsystems.net/

Good luck.

[Sydnie]

25. Kick n/t

[hyphenate]

26. Not a whole lot of help

but I ran this search on Google, and you might find what you're looking for in here, someplace. Regardless, good luck.

Geez--it would be good to provide the link now, wouldn't it?

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-09,GGLD:en&q=public+records+%22new+orleans%22+residents

[cwilper]

28. Katrina PeopleFinder Project

Have you heard of this project yet? I just saw it linked off someone's blog. Here's the link in case it helps: Katrina PeopleFinder Project Wiki.

[BeTheChange]

29. Yay! I think we have this covered.

The problem is that if you go to like switchboard or whatnot they only let you pull so many records at once. Notice that if you go and search for all names beginning with sa in New Orleans on every site it will tell you that you can only get a max number of entries, the most we could find via front end access was 1000.. Well, there are over 1000 people with last names that start with sa alone, not to mention, si, su... yadda yadda.

Anyway.. my fantastically talented husband figured out a way around this and as we speak 15000 names have been captured so far, and we are just on the Fs :) Obviously, this cant capture every resident of the state, but it should fullfill the purpose of this :)


Im so freaking excited that he finally figured out how to get past all their stupid booby traps.

[nonny]

30. Another Source -- ReferenceUSA database

This database is available at my public library.
(not available from home -- only within the library)

I have searched this by location. Example -- enter a street, search, list of all residents -- then expand by 1/8 mile.
List can be downloaded as comma delimited then opened in excel.

I think there was a 150 name limit on each download.

Here is a description of ReferenceUSA

ReferenceUSA is an Internet-based reference service from the Library Division of infoUSA. The site was designed for use as a reference tool in libraries and is continually enhanced based upon suggestions from librarians and library patrons.

The ReferenceUSA database contains, in module format, detailed information on more than 12 million U.S. businesses; 102 million U.S. residents; 683,000 U.S. health care providers; 1 million Canadian businesses; and 11 million Canadian residents. Libraries may customize the product by purchasing one or more of these five distinct modules.