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)

We're working with Fearless City on a campaign to gather phones for downtown eastside artists and residents called Phones for Fearless.

We're already awash in the blur of excitement with phones arriving, folks signing up for the pick up list and articles coming out. In the interest of efficiency, here's the details of how the pick-up fest is shaping up.

Cross-posted from Fearless City for your interest and participation:

The Phones for Fearless campaign is underway! We have a plan of action, the first phones are in hand, the bloggers are talking and we're ready for prancing through the snow with a sack of wintery libation to the good kids with extra phones to donate.

We'll be out and about Dec. 23rd from 1~-4 to gather phones and spread cheer.

A few answers to the queries:

How do we get on the pickup list?

Send a message NOW via:
Twitter: Fearless City
E-mail: info (at) fearlessmedia (dot) ca
Phone/SMS: 604.644.4349
Voice mail: 604.682.3269 xt 8320

Can i come along?

Yes you can come along to help! Bring a rucksack and your media making device to capture photos and videos of the shenangins. Meet at Raincity Studios HQ at 10:30 to head out into the wilds of Vancouver to harvest mobile phones in rag-tag bands.

Can i donate my phone without a power supply?

Sure. Coincidentally enough, Fearless City's trove includes many power supplies without phones - we'll pair them together for fun. Accessories, power supplies and batteries are all encouraged. Keep your SIM cards though we'll clear the phones first.

I am a DTES artist/resident or non-profit organization, how do i get my hands on a phone(s)?

Come to Fearless City's Wednesday meetings from 1-3 at Lori Krill Co-op, 65 W Cordova, to get peer training and find out how to get access to a phone and participate in Fearless City campaigns.

How about standard old office landline handsets?

Umm, we do like extra digital cameras but not other office equipment so much, we are hauling rucksacks so nothing heavy ;-)but if you have something great, we'l make arrangements.

I am writing a blog post, uploading Flickr photos and videos, can i get some tags?

Sure, thanks, here's a copy and paste string to get you started: fearlesscity fearless dtes homeless artists donation cellphone phonesforfearless (or with commas) fearlesscity, fearless, dtes, homeless, artists, donation, cellphone, phonesforfearless. Please add you photos to the FearlessCity Flickr group. Huzzah!

Building upon the work done at the Fearless Drupal code sprint last weekend, Kris and I are working with Irwin, Lani, Hendrick, Lorraine and others at Fearless City to gather up unused phones to redistribute to help DTES artists share stories, and tap into life, jobs & family.

We assembled this social media marketing campaign on a accelerated timeline to spread the message while so many people are getting new phone for a holiday gift and will end up with old phones which can be used to make media, document incidents, or provide basic communication. We used a variety of online media publishing and community building tools to create presences for Fearless City, then created the campaign materials using collaborative working tools and online photo tools to make the badge from Kris' sweet punk photo.

Finally, we unleashed the hounds (well Twitter, some blogs, Facebook, and such) to spread the word quickly on a Friday afternoon with a plan to pick up phones on Tuesday, Dec. 23rd on the auto-magic-Flickr-uploading purple Yahoo bikes Kris and Roland are rolling.

A look over kk's Twitter posts for today tells the story of how the plan came together ~ to quote George Peppard's character in the A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

Vancouver Drupal evangelists and ringleaders (and my Vancouver Drupal Camp co-horts) are brewing up another get together for the Vancouver League of Drupallers. Ariane and Dale have sent out a call for a Vancouver Drupal geek festive social with a purpose - code sprinting for Fearless City.

I interviewed Irwin to learn more about Fearless City's mission, audience, participants, animators, success stories, so stay tuned for more coverage. In brief, they are helping residents and artists in the disadvantaged downtown Eastside of Vancouver gain access to digital storytelling skills and tools and create ways to easily publish and share their creations.

Since, I will be sequestered on a remote island, I have no right to talk about the event, so instead will defer to Ariane's details from Groups.Drupal.org/Vancouver - Christmas Social and Fearless City Code Sprint!!!