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Texts and Tweets to Play Important Role at Inauguration

by Lee Bains on January 1, 2009 at 05:10 PM


Due to the massive crowds speculated to appear in Washington D.C. on January 20th (as many as 4 million), Presidential inauguration organizers and D.C. officials are hustling to put communication networks in place, CNET News reports.

Perhaps surprisingly, these networks will largely depend on text messages and Twitter pages.

Because of the sheer numbers expected to be in the capital during the event, spokesmen of cell providers have already expressed concern about their networks holding up, strategists like those at Sprint Nextel adding equipment to local cell towers and sending satellite trucks on patrol through D.C.

In response, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and a spokesman for Washington's wireless trade group, have both issued statements encouraging inaugural revelers to -- in the interest of freeing up networks -- send text messages instead of call.


In keeping with these SMS-friendly tactics, DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management will text official notes and instructions in the event of an emergency to those who sign up at Alert DC. Not to be outdone, the Official Presidential Inaugural Committee Twitter page will be tweeting weather reports, event information, special giveaways and the like up through the inauguration.

Since the President-elect has been heralded as 'The Tech President,' and is no stranger to the text message, we can certainly say we saw something like this coming. We just hope official Presidential correspondences don't start slipping into l33t speak. [From: CNET News]

Tags: barack obama, BarackObama, inauguration, politics, twitter, web

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