When thieves steal bikes, they often turn to the Internet to sell them and make a quick buck. Savvy theft victims will spend the few weeks after their bike is stolen scanning sites like Craiglist and Ebay in hopes of finding their beloved steed.
This process, if done at all, can be tedious and time-consuming and most people give up after a few days.
Local cyclist and web programmer Michael Jones has created an exciting new tool (no name yet) that will automate this entire process.
This web-based tool uses some slick technology to automatically scan Craiglist and Ebay for your stolen bike by performing automated keyword searches of your bike’s description. It will then notify you via email or cell phone text message when a potential match has been found.
He has been testing out the system using the BikePortland.org Stolen Bike Listings and the initial results are very exciting.
At this point, the service isn’t quite ready to launch. Michael needs a few volunteer testers in order to get feedback and make final improvements before going live.
If you or someone you know has had a bike stolen recently, please get in touch with Michael Jones at mjfreshnspamfree@gmail.com.
He could also use some help coming up with a name. Any ideas?