FARK.com: (4825527) If you notice an eight-foot red weather balloon today while you're driving around, please let Fark know (Last reminder for anyone who missed the previous threads)

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		If you notice an eight-foot red weather balloon today while you're driving around, please let Fark know (Last reminder for anyone who missed the previous threads) (fark.com)		555
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14845 clicks; posted to Main » on 05 Dec 2009 at 7:40 PM | Favorite | share:

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Unfreakable		2009-12-04 08:45:53 PM

Reposting from previous thread for the weekend farkers.

We're officially throwing our hat into the ring for the DARPA Network Challenge and organizing a team in hopes of using the power of Fark for good. There are more details on the site, but the gist is this: on Saturday, Dec. 5, DARPA will be deploying 10 red weather balloons in different locations in the lower 48 states. They'll be tethered to the ground, within view of a roadway and accessible by pedestrians. As soon as you find one you report it with the geographical coordinates. The balloons will only be up for 6-9 hours (depending on location and time zone), and any "sightings" afterwards will need to come from social networking and internet searches. The contest will be open until Dec. 14.

The prize for the winning team is $40,000. If we manage to pull this off, Fark will donate the full amount to Toys for Tots. With so many Farkers spread across the country, we might actually stand a chance at winning this.

Melissa (punkrockgirl) will be the overall point person for Fark, entering any findings to the site on TeamFark's behalf, so all finders need to report the coordinates to her. If you're interested in joining a regional/state searching team, please email her and she'll try to get you in touch with others in your area.

Worst case, it's a good excuse for a Sunday drive on a Saturday, or for searching/surfing the internet all day. Best case, lots of needy kids will get a visit from Santa this year.

punkrockgirl		2009-12-04 09:22:19 PM

DARPA Network Challenge GAME DAY, IT'S ON!! GO GO TEAMFARK!!

Here are a few guidelines on how this will all work.

I'm the only one able to enter any confirmed sightings into the DARPA site on TeamFark's behalf. You do not need to make an account yourself. If you happen across one, or if you find coordinates on another site, you need to email me directly, melissa

kraf

com.

When I get credible sightings, I will be rallying the troops to get someone else out for confirmation. Actual photos of the balloon count as credible sightings, and so do photos of you with the DARPA dudes. We're only allowed 25 entries, so we can't screw this up.

DO NOT post any coordinates or actual photos of the balloons in this thread. Others could steal them and use them for their own nefarious purposes (which most likely do not include getting Xmas joy to needy kids). Instead, send them directly to me, melissa

kraf

com. I'm going to assume any coords or pics posted in this thread are fake, and I won't bother trying to confirm.

Any more questions? I'll be here all day, feel free to ask.

lakefivedi		2009-12-05 08:54:31 AM

I will be heading out today searching...
in northwest montana..
in the fresh snow..

daveinaz		2009-12-05 08:57:50 AM

lakefivedi: I will be heading out today searching...
in northwest montana..
in the fresh snow..

I think it'll be over the Echo Lake Cafe.
//used to live there
//most beautiful country on earth

ThatWomanFromMassachusetts		2009-12-05 09:01:38 AM

I'm driving from home (near Worcester) to a Christmas party (near Boston) to SO's house (near Rhode Island) today, so I'll check out a good-sized chunk of central/eastern Massachusetts.

Will report in if I see anything.

zamboni		2009-12-05 09:07:29 AM

No, thanks. I already have one. It's very nice.

wild9		2009-12-05 09:08:08 AM

I will be out today around the Lexington, KY area looking.

FredaDeStilleto		2009-12-05 09:08:52 AM

In the event some poor bastard was sent to Luzerne County, PA to set-up a weather balloon, I'll try to find it.

/chances are, the researchers couldn't afford all the bribes they would have to pay

Tachikoma		2009-12-05 09:12:12 AM

Laramie, WY checking in. I'll start driving around at around 10am, might even cover between here and Ft Collins if I get bored.

/any Ft Collins farkers want to join a search team? I've got nothing to do today, technically
//will drive other WY farkers down to said search team if need be

lakefivedi		2009-12-05 09:12:23 AM

daveinaz
I think it'll be over the Echo Lake Cafe

well, shoot! i was going to go counterclockwise up eureka way, but now based on your input i better just start clockwise.

thanks!

Friskya		2009-12-05 09:12:24 AM

/damn, these charts are handy

gimpols1908		2009-12-05 09:14:35 AM

I 278 loop in nj mostly covered

kiyote		2009-12-05 09:15:58 AM

Just don't try to collect them all at once....

www.sudsandsoda.com

Brakefornobody		2009-12-05 09:16:28 AM

It's okay. I found the kid in the barn.

CtrlAltDelete		2009-12-05 09:18:39 AM

I wonder how many people are going to launch dummy balloons to grief the system.

I AM THE GOAT		2009-12-05 09:21:15 AM

I want to believe!

/Omaha area, will be keeping an eye on things over yonder
//From the back of my tractor
///While eating corn

Omnivorous		2009-12-05 09:21:39 AM

punkrockgirl: At the risk of repeating what's somewhere in the earlier threads --

* what's preferred contact method? melissa

kraf

com? Or your Twitter account? Other?
* recommendations if someone sees a luftballon but doesn't have a GPS?

THX -- there has to be one in Seattle here somewhere ...

/can iPhone users pull geographic coordinates directly from their pictures, since I know it is attached to their Picasa images?

Hiro Nakamura		2009-12-05 09:22:02 AM

I'll be out and about around Clarksville, TN today. Me and the fam will keep our eyes peeled.

wjllope		2009-12-05 09:24:20 AM

south of Houston TX checking in.... heading out the door in 26 minutes

blitzy		2009-12-05 09:26:22 AM

will be driving down I35 shortly will keep a lookout

Scruffinator		2009-12-05 09:26:30 AM

D'oh! Had to be today, when I have to get my car fixed. I won't be able to participate, unfortunately. But I know you guys. I have enough faith in you lot to do it right today. If anybody is around East Syracuse, NY, and want some company in this search send me an email(login at gmail). Good hunting, farkers!

Dr. Horrible		2009-12-05 09:26:53 AM

*looks out window*

Nope, don't see one.

What, you want me to go outside? That's crazy talk.

DarthQueeg		2009-12-05 09:28:19 AM

Red Balloon is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6BvdpR6V3g

sonofslacker		2009-12-05 09:29:15 AM

Red balloons are all I normally see. Time to get off the meth I guess.

punkrockgirl		2009-12-05 09:30:30 AM

Omnivorous: punkrockgirl: At the risk of repeating what's somewhere in the earlier threads --

* what's preferred contact method? melissakrafcom? Or your Twitter account? Other?
* recommendations if someone sees a luftballon but doesn't have a GPS?

THX -- there has to be one in Seattle here somewhere ...

/can iPhone users pull geographic coordinates directly from their pictures, since I know it is attached to their Picasa images?

Email, definitely.

Get a street address, if nothing else. I can plug it into Google Earth to get lat/long coordinates.

eeeleeet		2009-12-05 09:30:30 AM

Brakefornobody: It's okay. I found the kid in the barn.

Beat me to it. I was going to ask if Heene was up to something again.

/I think that's how to spell his name
//if not, doesn't matter; the asshat doesn't deserve his name to be remembered

featherspy		2009-12-05 09:32:52 AM

But...I don't like Toys for Tots...

Banned on the Run		2009-12-05 09:36:20 AM

I'm fairly certain my services will not be needed in El Paso.

Good hunting Farkers!

Mikeyworld		2009-12-05 09:36:42 AM

As posted last thread...Launch at 10am Eastern. What about the other time zones? On the left coast I'm 3 hrs late. Do I start looking @ 7?

/My search area is North Beach on the Washington coast (posted last thread)
//Road trip!

h2ogate		2009-12-05 09:37:12 AM

Current status: Inflating

snuffy		2009-12-05 09:37:30 AM

i bet that there will not be a balloon within 300 miles of where i live.

Drink_Outside_The_Box		2009-12-05 09:38:07 AM

I put the word out to my Facebook network to alert me for anything; that'll cover some parts of suburban Chicago. And I'd be available for confirmation on any reports in this area.

TechieGirl		2009-12-05 09:40:10 AM

Reporting for duty in the Fort Myers area.

I also posted on my FB in case someone else sees one.

Drink_Outside_The_Box		2009-12-05 09:41:24 AM

CtrlAltDelete: I wonder how many people are going to launch dummy balloons to grief the system.

I'm more interested in how many people will be flooding the internets with false information. That's something the Fark team should be doing and would probably be very good at ;)

Mikeyworld		2009-12-05 09:43:15 AM

Drink_Outside_The_Box: CtrlAltDelete: I wonder how many people are going to launch dummy balloons to grief the system.

I'm more interested in how many people will be flooding the internets with false information. That's something the Fark team should be doing and would probably be very good at ;)

nudge, nudge; wink, wink; say no more

swr2000		2009-12-05 09:43:45 AM

If you need someone to check a sighting in DE or Philly let me know.

unfarkingbelievable		2009-12-05 09:44:33 AM

Slightly off topic, but any of you brilliant, talented farkers/farkettes (many, many of you) -- can perhaps make some extra $$ by teaching tech-tards like me how to successfully use social media for business. Tech-tards like me are legion and I think it's a great idea to teach/consult one-on-one.

Although I don't understand this mission, I think it's beautiful and I congratulate all who have stewarded it. Good luck and stay awesome!!!

solokumba		2009-12-05 09:45:06 AM

I saw one.
But I'm not saying where.
If I ain't getting a cut of the 40K, why should I care?

Murphy's Corollary		2009-12-05 09:46:58 AM

I'll keep a look out in Birmingham Alabama (since everyone else down here will be watching THE GAME...)

/Roll Tide

YouPeopleAreCrazy		2009-12-05 09:52:57 AM

unfarkingbelievable: Slightly off topic, but any of you brilliant, talented farkers/farkettes (many, many of you) -- can perhaps make some extra $$ by teaching tech-tards like me how to successfully use social media for business. Tech-tards like me are legion and I think it's a great idea to teach/consult one-on-one.

Rule # 1: Don't be an asshat
Rule # 2: Don't be annoying (see #1)

/that was a freebie

philphil		2009-12-05 09:53:17 AM

I can tell you right now that the sample photos were taken in Quincy Park, Arlington VA.

GeorgeBurns		2009-12-05 09:54:53 AM

I'll be going out for a look. Good luck.

Plasticizer		2009-12-05 09:56:01 AM

I'll stick around for 15 more minutes until they are all found.

Mikeyworld		2009-12-05 10:01:30 AM

Launch!

InfernalCatfish		2009-12-05 10:03:02 AM

Weather balloon? Hopefully, it wasn't launched by Richard Heaney, Science Detective this time.

dognose4		2009-12-05 10:03:08 AM

all 10 launched. snow here, so they'll stick out well.

coondoggin		2009-12-05 10:03:22 AM

I just looked out from my living room window and did not see a balloon, sorry

mesohorny		2009-12-05 10:03:43 AM

my prediction is no one wins the challenge unless they knew in advance or only release them around in a few cities.

Reasons...

it's Saturday

it's a red balloon blowing across 3.5 million square miles.

it's winter and freezing

But there is hope maybe all of FARK can google all the social networking sites participating (from our mothers basements) and let them find the locations for Fark.

like "weather balloon spotted" site:example.com