European initiative shows missing kids on 404 pages

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
5
36
London, Ontario
Now this seems like a really smart, useful, and far reaching initiative, certainly couldn't hurt right? Sometimes it can just be about getting the faces out there for people to see, you never know who someone might recognize.

European initiative shows missing kids on 404 pages

By Rhonda Callow


NotFound.org encourages website owners to edit their 404 error messages to display information about missing people.


404 – or Not Found – error messages are displayed when you attempt to visit a Web page that does not exist. Sometimes 404 pages are bland and to the point:

Sometimes they’re a little quirky:

In either case, 404 pages usually have a considerable amount of empty white space. But a new European initiative is encouraging website owners to put that space to better use by using it to display details about missing people.
The NotFound.org project was created by Child Focus and Missing Children Europe. “The 404-page is a cornerstone of the internet culture,” said Laurent Dochy, Digital Conceptor at Famous and creator of the NotFound project. “An increasing number of websites designs have customized error pages that limit frustrations for the user. With the NotFound-project we are however taking this one step further by giving these pages a reason to exist. The next step came easily: ‘Page not found, neither is this child’”.
Website owners can participate in the project simply by incorporating a small snippet of code into their existing 404 page or by replacing it with NotFound.org’s page. In either case, the process is quick and easy.
Once amended, the 404 page will look like this:

NotFound seems to me to be an absolutely awesome idea. According to the RCMP, there were 46,718 missing children reports in 2011 including 33,259 runaway reports, 145 parental abduction reports and 25 stranger abduction reports. While most return home safe and sound, some sadly do not and NotFound’s 404 page is a great way to keep on reminding people about those kids.
Let’s hope there’s a similar initiative here in Canada.


European initiative shows missing children on 404 pages | Sync
 

Niflmir

A modern nomad
Dec 18, 2006
3,460
58
48
Leiden, the Netherlands
I recall a study, where they put up wanted posters for a missing child around a mall or airport, and then the kid went around asking if people had seen their parents. I think there were two versions, one where the photo was a time lapse of a photo of the kid when he was younger, and an actual photograph of the child.

The result was that nobody noticed. Of course, my memory loves to play tricks on me...
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
5
36
London, Ontario
I recall a study, where they put up wanted posters for a missing child around a mall or airport, and then the kid went around asking if people had seen their parents. I think there were two versions, one where the photo was a time lapse of a photo of the kid when he was younger, and an actual photograph of the child.

The result was that nobody noticed. Of course, my memory loves to play tricks on me...

I think, and this is just a guess, that posters put up only register with people peripherally. You'd have to actually stop and look and read it. This is like the milk carton idea, you're sitting there eating your cereal and you are actually looking at the picture, you have or take the time to notice it. If it popped up on screen on a 404 page, I'd bet a lot of people would read what was in front of them.

I wonder how statistically effective it really is to get this kind of information out to the public at all. I think you always hear about the police receiving a lot of call in tips when they really push the 'advertising', so to speak. But I wonder statistically how much those public tips actually help to solve crimes. If it helps at all, I'd say go for the publication of this type of information wherever and whenever possible. Even a hope in hell is better than nothing when it's your child that's missing.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
I love the idea. The more these pics are spread around, the better the chances.
 

Niflmir

A modern nomad
Dec 18, 2006
3,460
58
48
Leiden, the Netherlands
I think, and this is just a guess, that posters put up only register with people peripherally. You'd have to actually stop and look and read it. This is like the milk carton idea, you're sitting there eating your cereal and you are actually looking at the picture, you have or take the time to notice it. If it popped up on screen on a 404 page, I'd bet a lot of people would read what was in front of them.

I wonder how statistically effective it really is to get this kind of information out to the public at all. I think you always hear about the police receiving a lot of call in tips when they really push the 'advertising', so to speak. But I wonder statistically how much those public tips actually help to solve crimes. If it helps at all, I'd say go for the publication of this type of information wherever and whenever possible. Even a hope in hell is better than nothing when it's your child that's missing.

That last point you make is likely the biggest good it does. I think just knowing that other people are concerned for your trouble can mean a lot.

I imagine it must be terrifying to have your child kidnapped. Never knowing if you will ever see them again, even years after the fact. Why are there so many bastards around?
 

SLM

The Velvet Hammer
Mar 5, 2011
29,151
5
36
London, Ontario
That last point you make is likely the biggest good it does. I think just knowing that other people are concerned for your trouble can mean a lot.

I imagine it must be terrifying to have your child kidnapped. Never knowing if you will ever see them again, even years after the fact. Why are there so many bastards around?

I couldn't fathom having to live with my child missing and just not knowing what happened. That would truly be hell on earth I think.

Even if it's only a slim chance that posting the missing pictures will do some good, it's still far better than the zero chance that will come about from not publicizing them at all. I think for the parents, the not knowing and having the absence of hope would be too much to bear. At least this way, they would have some kind of peace knowing that everything that reasonably can be done is being done.