By Graham K. Rogers

While many online sources are rightly praising Apple for its early links to enable users to donate to the Red Cross relief for Nepal following the catastrophic earthquake, not everyone is able to do so.

When the news of the link on the iTunes store first appeared around lunchtime here today (perhaps around 01:00 Pacific Time), I checked iTunes, but could find nothing. Having arrived home several hours later, I read more reports of the donation scheme through iTunes and had another look, starting with the iPhone: App Store app; and iTunes app. Nothing there, so I looked again on the Mac.

The Thai store, which is where my details are, had no information on this, while the US Store was (of course) showing a link. Before I returned my settings of the store to Thailand, I also had a look at the store in Singapore. That too is not showing any link to enable users there to donate.

I did try to make a donation in the US Store, but the attempt was rejected.

Apple is to be congratulated on providing such direct links, as it has done on other occasions. However, this ability should be made available to others in countries (some of whose citizens are caught up in the aftermath), so that we may also offer suitable financial assistance.

Update

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life.