Boston

out of control /  by Richard

The Boston bombing is the first major terrorist attack on American soil in the age of smartphones, twitter and facebook that provided an opportunity for everyone to get involved. Thousands of people have taken to the Internet to play Sherlock Holmes this last few days.

Peoples where asked not to post personal information in their comments, by the Boston Police. The raw incoming news, could ruin an innocent person's life by spreading an incorrect information around.

I suggest you read an interesting article in the LA-Times. An other question is whether the FBI did solve this case in less than a week, thanks to social media?

Regardless, this was a terrible event and I feel sorry for those who lost their loved ones and who must relive it all when it's re-played in the media 24/7.

The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others /  by Richard

Social media is fast becoming the place people turn to find family and to update loved ones about their safety. Google uses “Person Finder” to help locate people in wake of Boston bombings.

The service allows people to state that they’re looking for people who they believe to be missing or to provide information they might have on someone. The service was last put to use in the wake of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami which rocked the coast of Japan in 2011 and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The mobile phone networks jammed following the Boston marathon explosion and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency tweeted, "if you are trying to reach friends or family and can't get through via phone, try texting instead (less bandwidth)".

YouTube has created a dedicated page collating video relating to the blasts, which has 26 videos ranging from clips shot on mobile phones by people at the scene to the President’s press conference.

The Boston police and the FBI posted messages to social media calling for anyone with video of the finish line at the time of the explosion to come forward.

Will social media help to better act after large scale disasters and could the law enforcement use this data to track the responsible?