Chile is a country that is used to and prepared for earthquakes, but it wasn't able to avoid the collapse of its electric and telecom systems, showing the fragility of a country during a crisis of such magnitude.
Without electricity, most traditional communication channels failed. People remained without access to TV or Internet, phone lines didn't work, and even cellular phones operated only sporadically in the center and south of the country. The Chilean Red Cross asked those with power and Internet service to share it with others, msnbc.com reports.
But despite the irregular functioning of Internet, social networks showed their ability to mobilize quickly and to assist in the face of catastrophe.
Google created a Person Finder, and sites like Facebook and Twitter became key communication tools. From expressions of fear, users then began using the networks to seek help, get data from affected cities, and locate loved ones. However, those sites have also served to spread rumors and false information.
In addition, several Chilean journalists are posting reports on line at www.terremotochile.com.
I don't get it, this article
I don't get it, this article is totally paradoxal: how can you promote the importance of social networks like google or twitter and AT THE SAME TIME write that internet and phone connections were down? it's technically impossible
We built a site too easily
We built a site to easily display real-time Twitter info and photos from Chile based on The New York Times' Twitter lists: check it out at http://tweetquake.com