Help
Help: Show HN: I made an emergency page for my family
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What is Help?
Help is a tool that This is an emergency web page designed for families to communicate important messages or alerts when someone loses access to their phone. The tool sends SMS messages (with LLM-summarized content) and emails containing detailed information including geolocation, IP address, and the full message text.
The page allows users to send one or more messages to multiple recipients, including themselves and other trusted people. It's built for scenarios like getting robbed, phone battery dying, phone breaking, or any situation where you need to communicate something important without your primary device.
Key features include automatic SMS and email delivery, LLM-powered message summarization for SMS to fit character limits, geolocation tracking, IP address capture, and support for multiple recipients. The source code is open and available on GitHub for self-hosting.
This tool is for anyone concerned about being without their phone in emergency situations, particularly people living in areas where phone robbery is common (like Brazil), travelers, or anyone who wants a backup communication method for their family.
Help pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Free - The tool is open source and can be self-hosted. The source code is available at GitHub. People can generate a static app and host it on Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or Cloudflare Workers at no cost. The public version at help.delduca.org appears to be free to use.
Help pros
- Sends SMS messages automatically during emergencies
- Sends emails with detailed emergency information
- Uses LLM to summarize messages for SMS character limits
- Captures and includes geolocation data
- Captures and includes IP address
- Supports multiple recipients including yourself
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- Works when phone is lost, broken, or robbed
- Open source source code available on GitHub
- Can be self-hosted on Netlify or Cloudflare Pages
- Can be self-hosted on Cloudflare Workers
- Generator tool available for easy configuration
- Supports Telegram integration
- Supports Pushover integration
- No phone required to access the page
Help cons
- Public form may receive spam messages
- No built-in password authentication by default
- Requires access to a computer or public PC in emergency
- LLM summarization may lose important context
- Low spam filtering volume makes testing difficult
- Requires someone to have the website URL memorized
- Geolocation may not work on all devices/browsers
- SMS delivery depends on third-party service availability
Frequently asked questions about Help
What is this emergency page for?
This page is designed to send SMS messages and emails to family members when you lose access to your phone due to robbery, battery death, breakage, or other emergencies. It includes your geolocation, IP address, and message text.
How does the LLM summarization work?
The tool uses an LLM to summarize long messages into shorter versions suitable for SMS character limits. The summary goes in the SMS while the full detailed message goes in the email.
Can I add my own contacts?
Yes, recipients can be configured to include yourself and other people. You can set up multiple recipients so several trusted contacts get notified when you send a message.
Is the source code available?
Yes, the source code is available at https://github.com/skhaz/dokku/tree/main/apps/help. There's also a generator that lets people configure their own Telegram/Pushover settings.
How do I prevent spam?
Currently there is minimal spam filtering. The author mentions considering AI-injected silly responses like requiring emails as limericks. Some suggest adding password authentication or quiz questions only family would know.
Can I self-host this?
Yes, the generator creates a static app that can be hosted on Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or Cloudflare Workers. The open source code allows full customization and self-hosting.
What information is included in the message?
The message includes your geolocation, IP address, the full message text you write, and for SMS a summarized version. Emails contain the more detailed information.
Do recipients need to install anything?
No, recipients just receive standard SMS messages and emails. They don't need to install any app or register for anything.
How does this compare to WhatsApp?
WhatsApp requires having your phone and being logged in. This page works from any computer or public PC when you don't have your phone. Someone can borrow a phone to visit the site and send a message.
Can I test if the site is working?
Yes, the author uses incoming messages as a check to ensure the site is still working. The low spam volume makes this manageable, and they plan to add AI-generated test messages.