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How you can help in the search for Jim Gray

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Friends,

For those of you living in the Bay Area, the Microsoft community, or the database community you've probably already heard much about Jim Gray's disappearance. For those of you that have not here are several news stories about it:

  • News Story: <sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/03/BAG0INU61H9.DTL>
  • News Story: <www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2577457,00.html>
  • More about Jim: research.microsoft.com/~Gray/

I met Jim over the phone a couple of years ago and then in person just about a year ago – here's a picture from that in person meeting (<www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/sjones/spotlightonsqlserver.asp>). Jim's truly an amazing and inspiring individual. I guarantee you that he has touched your life and you didn't even know it (have you ever made an airline reservation?)!

Jim's friends and colleagues have gathered a large collection of satellite images from the search area. They need volunteers to look through the satellite images and flag an image if the image looks like it contains a boat. Looking through a few satellite images takes just a few minutes; in that few minutes you could make a real difference.

   

  • If you'd like to help, here are the links to go look at the images: <skydev.pha.jhu.edu/szalay/tenacious/tiles/>
  • They are also available on Amazon Mechanical Turk: <www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId=J0XZ58STDWJZ5QY4F9M0>
  • The following is the blog that they are using to coordinate the search efforts: <openphi.net/tenacious/>
  • This post has some information on what a 40 ft boat would look like in a satellite image: <openphi.net/tenacious/?p=88>
  • This has clear instructions: <www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId=J0XZ58STDWJZ5QY4F9M0>

I'd appreciate it if you would share this information with your family and friends. Thank you!

Comments

  • Anonymous
    February 03, 2007
    Technology legend Jim Gray is missing. His 40' sailboat disappeared near the Farallon Islands in California

  • Anonymous
    February 05, 2007
    Just a thought - I am sure I am not the first to consider this Whatif Jim did not want to be found. For whatever reason - maybe depressed over his mom's death. Put yourself in his place and mindset in this case. You know folks will be looking - maybe you anticipate what his friends are doing with the search of tiles Where would you hide? - where would you hide a 40 foot boat?? Has someone started searching these places. small inlets - overhanging trees - I don't know I don't own a boat Just a thought Good luck Mike

  • Anonymous
    May 28, 2007
    Did we ever find Jim gray .. I am really concerned about it

  • Anonymous
    November 14, 2007
    ya the link to look through images in bad