This morning, one of the talking heads on a television news program stated that "Twitter is our main source of information" regarding the earthquake in Japan.
Actually, that's how I found out about the earthquake and tsunami. I was checking my twitter feed in the early hours of the morning and was stunned to learn this news - as it was happening.
Apparently over 1200 tweets per minute were coming in via Tokyo after the telephone lines were crippled.
"While there are so many technologies at this time that isolate us from our fellow beings, social networking tools have shown their ability once again to unify us as human beings, and to bring out what is most altruistic and empathetic in our natures."
Quote from Brad Shimmin, an analyst at Current Analysis via Huff Post
I found out from my Blackberry CBC news icon, It blinks when there is breaking news. Funny how you become so used to using the new software and technology so quickly. I have a girlfriend in Japan fortunately not in the earthquake zone - she found out about the earthquake as it was happening as she was on Facebook and a friend was posting comments about the quake. She stated that " Thank God for the Internet and Facebook (in Japan) as that is how they are all staying in touch and getting information. RT @CrisisMappers: CrisisMappers respond to Japan quake using @Ushahidi platform: http://bit.ly/dL9l6M & http://osmemo.wizu.jp #eqjp 11:36 AM Mar 11th via Seesmic twhirl Ushahidi - the software I discussed in Assignment 2 is already being used in Japan
I'm with Jess on that one. I learned about it from my Twitter feed. Such an enormous amount of images and messages from Japan, it was really overwhelming. I ended up heading to the BBC news site to get a summary of it instead of piecing together hundreds of narratives after the earthquake.
Perhaps the role of the journalist is becoming one who parses, edits, verifies and prioritizes information rather than actually finding it. The "big scoop" may come from sorting through the thousands of electronic scraps of data instead of pounding the pavement.
Sunil and Glenn - Hrm....I wonder if that aspect of journalism (parsing/editing etc...) has really been the crux of that field for a long time? I wonder if Twitter (and other social/new media apps) just exemplifies the convergence, interactivity and customisation of content (i.e. news)? Recall the saying: "content is kind" (or queen should we be concerned about equality). We know that there is always subjectivity (bias) and that narratives are always already shaped (edited) by the author...so doesn't new media just bring this element to the fore?
I think it's very interesting to learn about a software program and then see it in use. They are using the crisis mapping to provide real time information to all people in Japan. Extremely useful software for the ordinary citizen as even during the worst of it when there was no other form of communication - the internet was working so people and somewhere to go for communication and where to find help.
Yes Carolyn, the real time aspect is just amazing. I'm reading the update on the Fast Company article you cite and look at all the detailed information that is suddenly at everyone's fingertips (well, everyone with a 'net connection...):
"UNICEF and Japan's Earth Observation Research Center have asked UNOSAT to activate its satellites and provide basic mapping products--elevation, wave height, potential damage areas, and more. UNOSAT will post results to its website as information becomes available."
I was having a chat with some friends yesterday and realised how well connected we can be with all the modern technology. The globe is really becoming a village of sorts. But the dilemma is whom to pick?
When all the social networking companies started with specialisation - Twitter has it's uniqueness, Facebook had it's uniqueness - now they all seem to want to spread to each other's territory, to keep their customers intact. Face book enetering into movie rentals and video sharing is entering into competition with netflix and youtube. I understand the benefits of competition in an open market. But will the profit motives of social networking giants fragment the users into 'apple people' and 'mac crowd' and defeat the very uniquness and benefits of this media?
Interesting question Paul...I suppose that division is something that will always occur...If it isn't Twitter and FB now, something else along the line will be the new ipod.
Actually, that's how I found out about the earthquake and tsunami. I was checking my twitter feed in the early hours of the morning and was stunned to learn this news - as it was happening.
ReplyDeleteApparently over 1200 tweets per minute were coming in via Tokyo after the telephone lines were crippled.
"While there are so many technologies at this time that isolate us from our fellow beings, social networking tools have shown their ability once again to unify us as human beings, and to bring out what is most altruistic and empathetic in our natures."
Quote from Brad Shimmin, an analyst at Current Analysis via Huff Post
I found out from my Blackberry CBC news icon, It blinks when there is breaking news. Funny how you become so used to using the new software and technology so quickly. I have a girlfriend in Japan fortunately not in the earthquake zone - she found out about the earthquake as it was happening as she was on Facebook and a friend was posting comments about the quake. She stated that " Thank God for the Internet and Facebook (in Japan) as that is how they are all staying in touch and getting information.
ReplyDeleteRT @CrisisMappers: CrisisMappers respond to Japan quake using @Ushahidi platform: http://bit.ly/dL9l6M & http://osmemo.wizu.jp #eqjp 11:36 AM Mar 11th via Seesmic twhirl
Ushahidi - the software I discussed in Assignment 2 is already being used in Japan
I'm with Jess on that one. I learned about it from my Twitter feed. Such an enormous amount of images and messages from Japan, it was really overwhelming. I ended up heading to the BBC news site to get a summary of it instead of piecing together hundreds of narratives after the earthquake.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the role of the journalist is becoming one who parses, edits, verifies and prioritizes information rather than actually finding it. The "big scoop" may come from sorting through the thousands of electronic scraps of data instead of pounding the pavement.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn - interesting to see your Assignment 2 software in action. What do you think of how it's being used?
ReplyDeleteSunil and Glenn - Hrm....I wonder if that aspect of journalism (parsing/editing etc...) has really been the crux of that field for a long time? I wonder if Twitter (and other social/new media apps) just exemplifies the convergence, interactivity and customisation of content (i.e. news)? Recall the saying: "content is kind" (or queen should we be concerned about equality). We know that there is always subjectivity (bias) and that narratives are always already shaped (edited) by the author...so doesn't new media just bring this element to the fore?
ReplyDeleteI think it's very interesting to learn about a software program and then see it in use. They are using the crisis mapping to provide real time information to all people in Japan. Extremely useful software for the ordinary citizen as even during the worst of it when there was no other form of communication - the internet was working so people and somewhere to go for communication and where to find help.
ReplyDeleteYes Carolyn, the real time aspect is just amazing. I'm reading the update on the Fast Company article you cite and look at all the detailed information that is suddenly at everyone's fingertips (well, everyone with a 'net connection...):
ReplyDelete"UNICEF and Japan's Earth Observation Research Center have asked UNOSAT to activate its satellites and provide basic mapping products--elevation, wave height, potential damage areas, and more. UNOSAT will post results to its website as information becomes available."
http://www.fastcompany.com/1737539/crisis-mappers-respond-to-japan-earthquake
I was having a chat with some friends yesterday and realised how well connected we can be with all the modern technology. The globe is really becoming a village of sorts. But the dilemma is whom to pick?
ReplyDeleteWhen all the social networking companies started with specialisation - Twitter has it's uniqueness, Facebook had it's uniqueness - now they all seem to want to spread to each other's territory, to keep their customers intact. Face book enetering into movie rentals and video sharing is entering into competition with netflix and youtube. I understand the benefits of competition in an open market. But will the profit motives of social networking giants fragment the users into 'apple people' and 'mac crowd' and defeat the very uniquness and benefits of this media?
Interesting question Paul...I suppose that division is something that will always occur...If it isn't Twitter and FB now, something else along the line will be the new ipod.
ReplyDelete