Comments on: Twitter Could Save Your Life in a Disaster http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/ The Social Times covers news, analysis and insight pertaining to the social web. Learn how to brand yourself and your company via the social web. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:33:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Bill Burgess http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-314 Bill Burgess Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:07:46 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-314 Interesting discussion. Twitter is just one of many resources available in an emergency. Check out the work of the nonprofit Stargazer Foundation in VA, at www.Stargazer.org. There you will find an entire suite of Web tools for emergency preparation AND response. It's free and built on an IBM Websphere platform. The services have been used successfully by the Red Cross and the Washington D.C. Metro Council of Governments. Also see the Tracker service, that allows form-based communications via PC or Web-enabled device so people can send, receive and track information and other people in an emergency. By the way, text type messaging did not go down during the major disasters...only the voice networks were inaccessible, as noted by Anthony. Interesting discussion. Twitter is just one of many resources available in an emergency. Check out the work of the nonprofit Stargazer Foundation in VA, at http://www.Stargazer.org. There you will find an entire suite of Web tools for emergency preparation AND response. It’s free and built on an IBM Websphere platform. The services have been used successfully by the Red Cross and the Washington D.C. Metro Council of Governments. Also see the Tracker service, that allows form-based communications via PC or Web-enabled device so people can send, receive and track information and other people in an emergency. By the way, text type messaging did not go down during the major disasters…only the voice networks were inaccessible, as noted by Anthony.

]]> By: Bill Burgess http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-5099 Bill Burgess Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:07:46 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-5099 Interesting discussion. Twitter is just one of many resources available in an emergency. Check out the work of the nonprofit Stargazer Foundation in VA, at <a href="http://www.Stargazer.org">www.Stargazer.org</a>. There you will find an entire suite of Web tools for emergency preparation AND response. It's free and built on an IBM Websphere platform. The services have been used successfully by the Red Cross and the Washington D.C. Metro Council of Governments. Also see the Tracker service, that allows form-based communications via PC or Web-enabled device so people can send, receive and track information and other people in an emergency. By the way, text type messaging did not go down during the major disasters...only the voice networks were inaccessible, as noted by Anthony. Interesting discussion. Twitter is just one of many resources available in an emergency. Check out the work of the nonprofit Stargazer Foundation in VA, at http://www.Stargazer.org. There you will find an entire suite of Web tools for emergency preparation AND response. It's free and built on an IBM Websphere platform. The services have been used successfully by the Red Cross and the Washington D.C. Metro Council of Governments. Also see the Tracker service, that allows form-based communications via PC or Web-enabled device so people can send, receive and track information and other people in an emergency. By the way, text type messaging did not go down during the major disasters…only the voice networks were inaccessible, as noted by Anthony.

]]> By: Martin Ringlein http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-313 Martin Ringlein Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:13:10 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-313 Yeah ... in response to your title. The only lives that twitter is saving is that of the geek that can't "live" without it. Andrew makes a great point ... if Twitter can't survive Jobs, how is it going to hold up against a real disaster. People have been talking about the implementation of a Twitter like app since the UVA shootings ... again, worthless thought until there is some sustainable execution strategy. But hey, it gives us a reason to use the word "Twitter". Yeah … in response to your title. The only lives that twitter is saving is that of the geek that can’t “live” without it.

Andrew makes a great point … if Twitter can’t survive Jobs, how is it going to hold up against a real disaster.

People have been talking about the implementation of a Twitter like app since the UVA shootings … again, worthless thought until there is some sustainable execution strategy. But hey, it gives us a reason to use the word “Twitter”.

]]> By: Andrew Wright (@batterista) http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-311 Andrew Wright (@batterista) Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:32:35 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-311 Great article. Twitter could be great tool to distribute on-the-ground human intelligence across a network in real-time (maybe somewhat asynchronously). Twitter, however, appears to have some significant architectural issues that they haven't been able to overcome. If Twitter goes down during Steve Jobs' keynote, can it stand up to a real emergency? If they get these issues resolved, there's real value in such a tool in disaster situations. Great article. Twitter could be great tool to distribute on-the-ground human intelligence across a network in real-time (maybe somewhat asynchronously).

Twitter, however, appears to have some significant architectural issues that they haven’t been able to overcome. If Twitter goes down during Steve Jobs’ keynote, can it stand up to a real emergency? If they get these issues resolved, there’s real value in such a tool in disaster situations.

]]> By: Anthony LaFauce http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-310 Anthony LaFauce Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:26:32 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-310 The technology is based on the principle that SMS and Tweets take far less bandwidth, there for less signal, than standard cell communication. Several DoD agencies use simple messaging services to reach there staff in the event of an emergency. Using Twitter just expands on those ideas. The technology is based on the principle that SMS and Tweets take far less bandwidth, there for less signal, than standard cell communication. Several DoD agencies use simple messaging services to reach there staff in the event of an emergency. Using Twitter just expands on those ideas.

]]> By: Martin Ringlein http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-309 Martin Ringlein Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:18:21 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-309 What is a "brilliant" idea worth if there is no realistic strategy for execution? Hey, how about a magic pill that stops disasters from happening in the first place? Isn't one of the largest hurdles to this concept the issue of connectivity? Granted it was almost 7 years ago, but during 9-11, having a cell phone would be a great thought but was relatively useless to anyone in NYC and many in the Washington, D.C. area. The service providers can't sustain emergency disaster scenario where large amounts of individuals are trying to access at the same time. Twitter during a school shooting is interesting (assuming the students use twitter), but Twitter for disaster on a large scale -- useless not because of Twitter but because of connectivity. What is a “brilliant” idea worth if there is no realistic strategy for execution? Hey, how about a magic pill that stops disasters from happening in the first place?

Isn’t one of the largest hurdles to this concept the issue of connectivity? Granted it was almost 7 years ago, but during 9-11, having a cell phone would be a great thought but was relatively useless to anyone in NYC and many in the Washington, D.C. area. The service providers can’t sustain emergency disaster scenario where large amounts of individuals are trying to access at the same time.

Twitter during a school shooting is interesting (assuming the students use twitter), but Twitter for disaster on a large scale — useless not because of Twitter but because of connectivity.

]]> By: Martin Ringlein http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-5098 Martin Ringlein Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:13:10 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-5098 Yeah ... in response to your title. The only lives that twitter is saving is that of the geek that can't "live" without it. <br><br>Andrew makes a great point ... if Twitter can't survive Jobs, how is it going to hold up against a real disaster. <br><br>People have been talking about the implementation of a Twitter like app since the UVA shootings ... again, worthless thought until there is some sustainable execution strategy. But hey, it gives us a reason to use the word "Twitter". Yeah … in response to your title. The only lives that twitter is saving is that of the geek that can't “live” without it.

Andrew makes a great point … if Twitter can't survive Jobs, how is it going to hold up against a real disaster.

People have been talking about the implementation of a Twitter like app since the UVA shootings … again, worthless thought until there is some sustainable execution strategy. But hey, it gives us a reason to use the word “Twitter”.

]]> By: Andrew Wright (@batterista) http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-5097 Andrew Wright (@batterista) Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:32:35 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-5097 Great article. Twitter could be great tool to distribute on-the-ground human intelligence across a network in real-time (maybe somewhat asynchronously). <br><br>Twitter, however, appears to have some significant architectural issues that they haven't been able to overcome. If Twitter goes down during Steve Jobs' keynote, can it stand up to a real emergency? If they get these issues resolved, there's real value in such a tool in disaster situations. Great article. Twitter could be great tool to distribute on-the-ground human intelligence across a network in real-time (maybe somewhat asynchronously).

Twitter, however, appears to have some significant architectural issues that they haven't been able to overcome. If Twitter goes down during Steve Jobs' keynote, can it stand up to a real emergency? If they get these issues resolved, there's real value in such a tool in disaster situations.

]]> By: Anthony LaFauce http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-4701 Anthony LaFauce Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:26:32 +0000 http://www.socialtimes.com/2008/01/twitter-could-save-your-life-in-a-disaster/#comment-4701 The technology is based on the principle that SMS and Tweets take far less bandwidth, there for less signal, than standard cell communication. Several DoD agencies use simple messaging services to reach there staff in the event of an emergency. Using Twitter just expands on those ideas. The technology is based on the principle that SMS and Tweets take far less bandwidth, there for less signal, than standard cell communication. Several DoD agencies use simple messaging services to reach there staff in the event of an emergency. Using Twitter just expands on those ideas.

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