[liberationtech] Drones for Human Rights

[Nabiha Syed]

Katrin, and everyone --

Oh dear, that's the peril of an auto-signature from my phone.

The* NYT has no interest in the drone-list whatsoever.* The drone-list has
nothing to do with my day job. I just set up the drone-list because I'm
interested in (and often terrified by) drone technology. I know others are
too, clearly, so why not set up a space for everyone to chat about it on a
more regular basis? The "we" wasn't an institutional reference -- but
rather a reference to some folks I was chatting with on Twitter about the
importance of this type of space. It's from those conversations that the
drone list emerged.

But since you asked: the First Amendment Fellowship is a legal fellowship
here at NYT. It's fantastic, and I encourage any burgeoning media lawyers
to apply for it.

Many apologies for the confusion.

Nabiha (with no auto-signature!)

On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 11:39 AM, Katrin Verclas <katrin at mobileactive.org>wrote:

> Wow, Nabiha -
>
> Tell us - what is a First Amendment Fellow at the NYT?  Can you elaborate
> on what you are tasked to do and the NYT's interest in this?
>
> Katrin
>
> On Feb 7, 2012, at 11:34 AM, Nabiha Syed wrote:
>
> > All --
> >
> > Just wanted to chime in and say that we've created a list-serv -- the
> > drone-list -- for discussing and disseminating news about drones, whether
> > it be in the humanitarian relief space, military, journalism,
> surveillance,
> > or otherwise.
> >
> > If you're interested, please do sign up here:
> > https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/drone-list
> >
> > Nabiha
> >
> > Nabiha Syed
> > First Amendment Fellow
> > The New York Times Company
> > 620 8th Avenue
> > New York, NY  10018
> > Email: nabiha.syed at nytimes.com
> >
> > Ph: 212-556-5187
> > Cell: 714-200-3983
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 8:34 PM, The Doctor <drwho at virtadpt.net> wrote:
> >
> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> >> Hash: SHA1
> >>
> >> On 02/02/2012 08:26 PM, Chip Pitts wrote:
> >>> A group at Singularity University here in Silicon Valley this past
> >>> summer launched a start-up that uses drones for humanitarian
> >>> applications, such as to deliver medical supplies in developing
> >>> countries lacking roads:
> >>
> >> I found the reference in question.
> >>
> >> It is in _Wired For War_ by Dr. P.W. Singer (hardback edition),
> >> chapter 13 (Open-Source Warfare: College Kids, Terrorists, and Other
> >> New Users of Robots at War).  In fact, the story opens the chapter,
> >> which I will summarize:
> >>
> >> In 2005 a newly graduated political science student named Sam Bell set
> >> out with two colleagues to buy a military-grade robotic weapons system
> >> for the purpose of intervening in the genocide in Darfur.  They raised
> >> approximately half a million US dollars in a year's time and, after
> >> looking into hiring a PMC (Private Military Contractor) to fly their
> >> UAVs on surveillance missions into Sudan, but balked at the price
> >> (around $200 million US dollars per year for such a contract).  They
> >> wound up not going with that plan because the risks outweighed the
> >> potential benefits.
> >>
> >> Apparently, PMCs own military-grade UAVs, and tailor the prices of
> >> their contracts to how old the models are.
> >>
> >> Looking up what GI-NET (Genocide Intervention NETwork) is up to these
> >> days may provide more useful information.
> >>
> >> I would also suggest that interested parties do some research on what
> >> the open source UAV community is up to these days - there are many
> >> projects publishing blueprints and source code for working units, from
> >> the Vulture to the OccuCopter.
> >>
> >> - --
> >> The Doctor [412/724/301/703]
> >>
> >> PGP: 0x807B17C1 / 7960 1CDC 85C9 0B63 8D9F  DD89 3BD8 FF2B 807B 17C1
> >> WWW: https://drwho.virtadpt.net/
> >>
> >> "The monster never sees the monster in the mirror." --J. Michael
> >> Straczynski
> >>
> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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> >> Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/
> >>
> >> iEYEARECAAYFAk8wf7kACgkQO9j/K4B7F8E9IgCeIIeBaYcUF2SMnz5hb6ZnZt5y
> >> V+gAoK19pJb6ohz3SCOYbGIav2mblYVJ
> >> =zw8R
> >> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
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>
> Katrin Verclas
> MobileActive.org
> katrin at mobileactive.org
>
> skype/twitter: katrinskaya
> (347) 281-7191
>
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