Home
News Archive
Twitter Can Help Spread the Word During Disasters
October 24, 2007
I’ve been following a few of my friends on Twitter since soon after it premiered; the service allows me to keep up with short updates as often as each one cares to post. It helps me to stay in touch and is one of the coolest (and most useful) things to hit the Web in a while.
I was surprised though when I ran across a posting on Wired today that suggested folks should use Twitter during disasters such as the devastating wildfires currently affecting so many in Southern California. I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but it makes perfect sense, especially in our electronic age. There are two different Twitter channels to follow for the American Red Cross; one gives information about open shelters in disaster areas, including instructions on what to bring, and the other allows users to send messages to the ARC Safe and Well web site, which friends and family members can search to learn more about your status if you’re in a disaster zone. Click through the link for more information, including a YouTube video that offers other helpful tips for using Twitter during disasters.
Category: Industry News
Published: October 24, 2007 4:41 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.pocketgoddess.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/360
Comments
1. Michael Kizer on November 1, 2007 2:24 PM said...
I never thought Twitter was much more than yet another way to waste my time, but during the recent fires around San Diego I found it extremely helpful. PBS News (http://www.kpbs.org/) setup a Twitter feed that I followed (http://twitter.com/kpbsnews). It was updated with new information instantly and I could choose to have the info sent to my PC or to my cell phone. They also did a great job with a constantly updated Google Map of the fire areas (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=114250687465160386813.00043d08ac31fe3357571&ll=32.904956,-116.680298&spn=0.823222,1.439209&z=10&om=1).
