Since kicking off the Phones for Fearless campaign collection on Dec. 23rd, the phones are piling up, responses are coming in from far-flung places, and the story appearing in myriad social and traditional media outlets.

We are still accepting donations at Raincity Studios so bring your old devices down to help bridge the digital divide in a very tangible manner. While you are backing up your data and bundling your power cords, here are a few highlights and notes to bring you up to speed on the success so far.

Sun Profiles DTES Artist

Gillian Shaw's blog posts and Vancouver Sun article helped muster another round of exposure for the project. Of particular interest is the way she worked Walter Lynxleg's work into her story with a photo gallery in her 12-21-2008 blog post "Donate your cellphone".

Here's a video interview with Walter Lynxleg (who) "overcame homelessness and is now hoping to put together a book of photos of people living in the neighborhood and the people trying to help them"

Later, Ms. Shaw followed up with Walter's story in the print edition article on December 28, 2008, "Life on the streets seen through a simple lens - Walter Lynxleg, once homeless, uses a cellphone camera to record life in his Downtown Eastside community."

Walter is quoted saying, "I was homeless," said Lynxleg. "Then I got a job and managed to save enough money to get a place to live. Now I take photos of people who are helping people on the Downtown Eastside. I am planning to publish it in a book that I am calling Angels Without Wings."

Walter is now the recipient of a video camera and training from Steve Jaagger (Reached.com) who explains, "I'll give him a seat in our video class and I'll give him a video camera," said Jagger. "He can go into an Internet cafe and store his videos on YouTube. Guys like Walter are trying, all they need is a little bit of help. He is very passionate about the whole native thing. He wants to finish his Grade 12 and go back to his community and start showing the young guys -- you can do something."

Thanks Gillian for providing this sterling example of a complimentary relationship between "social" and "trad" media - (note: we really need better terms or no terms to describe these artificial differences)

Fearless in West Ender, tabloid edition

Jackie Wong from WE (WestEnder) gave a call to talk about the campaign. She asked how the phones would be used, how we used social media to spread the word, and why Raincity Studios is involved. I won't answer all the questions here, instead read the article "Technology for All - Campaign seeks to put discarded electronics into the hands of the poor" from the January 1~7 2009 edition. To whet your appetite here's a photo of poster boy, Kris Krug holding a copy of the print version complete with his photo supplied by yep, me ;-) plus a quote from yours truly about the campaign tactics:

Developers at Raincity Studios have been using Twitter, Flickr, and blogging platforms to spread the word of the Phones for Fearless campaign. “The thing that’s neat about using tools like Twitter, blogs, and Flickr is it opens us up to a much bigger audience,” says Dave Olson of Raincity Studios. “We’re getting responses from California and Ottawa. It really gives us an opportunity to amplify our message to a much wider area, and much more quickly.”

Gallery of Donators

We've tried to snap a picture of each donator, along with a festive message and their phone. This helps put a face to the donation and thanks everyone for their generosity. Big ups to Lorraine Raincoaster for creating a custom blog post of gratitude for each person.

Did you donate? Go to fearlesscity.ca Media Arts section to see your dossier. Add a comment if we missed your blog/twitter/whatever link.

Along with publishing a custom blog post for each donator Raincoaster published a massive blog post round up in Phones for Fearless: Day 1 and Phones for Fearless Campaign Update along with a barrage of Twitters (via @raincoaster and @fearlesscity).

Selected Posts

Here are a few quick hits of my fave posts from the plenty (more phonesforfearless posts on the Fearless City blog):

Phones for Fearless 2008 » Vancouver Blog Miss 604 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Stylefinds: Phones for Fearless CityPhones for Fearless | ChalkedUp

Creativity at Work - Phones for Fearless! Donate your old phones to change lives

Lowther Rinse Repeat » Fearless City Cell Phone Drive

Fade to Play » Mobilised for Fearless! and Do you have an old phone? Please donate it to Fearless City

Please donate your mobiles to Fearless, see you tomorrow! | Roland

Say no to gadget clutter, donate to Fearless City

Hmm, Does this Twitter Thing Really Work…? « Me Like The Interweb

and my very fave from Sean Orr's Chalked up:

A Christmas Miracle just happened. Sort of. I was mobbed by a pack of elves. Not just any elves however, these were social media elves and they were all a twitter. One of them handed me a bottle of homebrewed winter ale (for my Dad), another a tasty chocolate, one of them handed me a pen to write a message to the homeless and took my picture holding it up, while yet another packed a bowl for me to smoke! How festive! All I had to do apparently was get on my toboggan and spread the word! Give us your used phones!!! I would give them mine, but I just bought my first cell last year. DO THIS.

Mobile Geekery

Finally, if you want to know more about the mobile tech Fearless City and partners are brewing up, listen to the podcast with Roland Tanglao and I riffing about Mobile Non-Profit Campaigns and Projects - on Raincity Radio and Roland's epic post SMS Framework + FeedAPI = SIFT awesomeness for Fearless and Whistler.

Here's the podcast blurb and link pack for your convenience:

Mobile technology can change the world - or at least help people express themselves with art and improve safety too. Raincity Studios' Support Services Coordinator and digital experimentalist, Roland Tanglao discuss an assortment of mobile-themed projects and initiatives with host DaveO including:

• Sift Tool
• Mobile Muse
• Vancouver Art Gallery Fuse night
• Homeless Nation
• Fearless City
• Phones for Fearless campaign

Recap

1. Used mobile cell phones and digital cameras are still accepted at Raincity Studios
2. Check out Phones for Fearless blog/photo galleries, add comments, favourites etc.
3. Drop a comment if we missed your post or donation - we aim to please ;)