Nashville is Talking’s Christian Grantham has a collection of links to posts by area bloggers regarding the tornados that passed through the area last night. Also, as I typically read his posts via an RSS newsreader and not on the site, this is the first time I’ve noticed the site’s “Nashville Tweets” feature that aggregates Twitter posts from area users of the service. Looks like something fun, but last night, it also served as very helpful service in aggregating messages posted on Twitter (tweets) directly related to a breaking disaster story, something I’ve written about before and that others with the resources and know-how to make it happen are doing.
Remember: Seeing the opportunity of repurposing toys into something that can save lives starts with playing with toys.
Sidenote: Thanks to those who have emailed and “messaged” me regarding the bad weather here. Those of us at Hammock were fortunate to miss any direct damage from the storms.
Bonus link: On his Hammock “People Page,” Bill Hudgins writes about the tornado that touched down in his hometown of Gallatin last night — and recalls a similar experience two years ago that he wrote about on this weblog.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Thanks for the feature, Rex. Liek you, I’ve been playing around with twittervision.com and twittermap.com and hoping to stumble on a way to live map Nashville tweets. In situations like this, geomapping tweets will be a very valuable tool for the blogging community.
February 6th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
[...] Rex has talked about this type of use of Twitter before but noticed last night how NIT’s aggregation of Nashville tweets was yet another example of how Twitter can act as a real-time emergency broadcasting system. Also, as I typically read his posts via an RSS newsreader and not on the site, this is the first time I’ve noticed the site’s “Nashville Tweets†feature that aggregates Twitter posts from area users of the service. Looks like something fun, but last night, it also served as very helpful service in aggregating messages posted on Twitter (tweets) directly related to a breaking disaster story, something I’ve written about before and that others with the resources and know-how to make it happen are doing. [Nashville is blogging and Twittering about tornados - RexBlog - 02-06-08] [...]
February 7th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
[...] Rex had a similar perspective yesterday. Belmont’s Paul Chenoweth does a great job today documenting a few ways he saw people turning online for information in response to the deadly storms, including using the Twitter tubes. Not to diminish the mainstream media’s coverage of the storm and the events at Union, but I believe it is noteworthy to look at the above list and understand what individuals are able to contribute in the way of information, coverage, and support that is in addition-to/beyond to the scope of television, radio, and print media. Chris Turner at LifeWay Christian resources has already posted Blogs in a crisis. I consider it a must read for anyone involved in creating a disaster response strategy at the corporate level…and particularly in the area of higher education. It is a conversation that we need to expand when there are calmer, reflective days. [Non-traditional Media Responses in Crisis Situations - Chasing The Dragon’s Tale - 02-07-08] Spread It Around: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
February 8th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
[...] Geo-mapping Nashville tweets could paint a live picture of things happening in our area. If there is an explosion in East Nashville, for example, you might see it before it hits the news with a flurry of tweets near that location. Rex has already touched on uses of Twitter in emergencies. You might also see a flurry of tweets from a gathering gaggle of geeks overlaying a real terrain on existing social networks. [...]