Amazon's Web 2.0 Maps Aid in Search for Missing Pilot

Nearly one week after millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett failed to return home after taking off on a solo flight in a rugged section of Nevada, rescuers remain disappointed by false leads and no sign of the missing man or his aircraft.

With time working against the rescue team, the good folks at Amazon.com are using the vast reach of the Internet and new innovative mapping applications to lend a hand. 

To help find Steve, Amazon has created a HIT, or Human Intelligence Task.  HITS are problems sent to web users to solve when they are difficult for computers, but simple for humans to answer.

In this case, detailed satellite imagery has been made available for Steve's last known whereabouts and HITs have been created to ask volunteers to help review these images and flag potential areas of interest which will be instrumental in the search and rescue efforts.

Hitters can even get accompanying geographic data and link to Google Earth for more detailed images.

If you are interested in helping, please click here to  participate in the search effort. (Editor's Note: This HIT expires on Sep 16, 2007.)

It's comforting to know that for every entertaining waste of time that Web 2.0 applications create, there are an equal number of services looking to provide innovate web-based mapping solutions to real world problems.  Just look at the offender registry map at Family Watchdog, the Visa ATM locator or HotPads.com for map-based housing search.

Our hearts go out to Steve's friends and family, and we extend our best wishes for his safe return home.