Facebook Forced To Let You Vote On Privacy Changes
What Will Google Announce Next Week?
Louisiana Government Uses Twitter to Spread Information on Oil Spill
It seems like whenever there's a major international disaster, Twitter is there, helping disseminate information, and keeping people up to date on the latest developments. And the Gulf oil spill is certainly no exception.As the Wall Street Journal reports, the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is bound by law to answer every single question it receives on Twitter or Facebook, and, needless to say, government officials have been receiving a lot of Twitter traffic as of late. Although the office account has fewer than 2,000 followers, authorities manning the account say they concentrate primarily on directly responding to inquiries, while counting on their followers to retweet any updates or breaking news items from office Twitter. Even if a user posts an angry or controversial question to the governmental account, the office will still reply via direct message.
Christina Stephens, director of communications for the Louisiana bureau, says that engaging with citizens via Twitter has also afforded her unique insight into what kinds of issues people consider most important. Whenever the office tweets about closures of fishing or oyster-harvesting areas, for example, the account tends to see a surge in user feedback. Stephens also says the crisis has demonstrated the divergent ways in which people use Facebook and Twitter. "On Facebook, people are expressing their anger or emotions or frustrations more," she says, while online users typically use Twitter to receive news.
And, with hurricane season on the horizon, the office is planning on using social networking in an even greater capacity, since, as Stephens argues, the medium is becoming an essential part of any crisis management plan. "I do believe Facebook's going to be a big tool for a hurricane evacuation," she says. "During an evacuation, people don't have access to computers, but they can get Facebook on their mobile phone. They're going to use that interface to get information."
When it comes to BP's disaster, it doesn't seem like anyone has much in the way of answers. It's encouraging, though, that the confusion hasn't stopped Louisiana's political leaders from directly engaging with its citizens. We may all be bewildered, angry or depressed about what's going on in the Gulf, but at least Louisianans have an open ear to tweet to. [From: Wall Street Journal]
40 Years Later 'Napalm Girl' Tells Her Story
Disney World Scammers Scored Four Years of Free Vacations
Lost Dr. Seuss Cartoons Show Another Side Of The Author
Stranger's Kiss Keeps 16-Year-Old From Committing Suicide
Rookie Cop Reportedly Berated, Called 'A Rat' For Arresting Off-Duty Officer
Chain Food Showdown: The Best & Worst Buffalo Wings
Walmart Ending Membership in Conservative Group
How I Went Bankrupt at 23
Disturbing Video Allegedly Shows Montreal Torso Suspect Murdering Victim
Can a New Guy Save Best Buy?
Woman Claims Kangaroo Stalked Her for 2 Days, Then Attacked
Zhang Ziyi Slams Prostitution Allegations
Facebook, Week Two: Fortunes Made and Fortunes Lost (Mostly Lost)
Pete Cosey Dead: Chicago Guitar Great and Miles Davis Collaborator Dies at 68
PHOTOS: Charlize Theron's Short And Shoulder-Baring Style
A Journey To The Hottest Place On Earth: Dallol Ethiopia
Student Ate Roommate's Brain And Heart, Cops Say
Heidi Klum's Sexiest (And Scariest) Outfits
George Zimmerman's Bond Revoked
LOOK: Photos Of Military Moms Breastfeeding In Uniform Cause Controversy
Kansas Police Search For 12-Year-Old Girl Who Disappeared With Canadian She Met Online
Witherspoon Bigamy Case Heats Up
Is Kate Walsh Leaving 'Private Practice' Next Season?
Maine Police Believe Ayla Reynolds Is Dead
Calif. Man Becomes Internet Sensation In China For Random Act Of Kindness
Space Agency Predicts Date Of World-Ending Galactic Smash-Up
New Discovery Sheds Light On Amelia Earhart Mystery
National Spelling Bee Winner Is I-M-P-R-E-S-S-I-V-E
See Kim Without Her Wig On 'Don't Be Tardy For The Wedding'
Porn Actor Mailed Murder Victim's Body Parts To Canada's Top Political Parties: Cops
Jim Moret: 'Still The Most Beautiful Girl I've Ever Seen'
Is This The Most Timeless Hairstyle, Ever?
Comments
3
Subscribe to commentsJeff TurkJun 8th 2010 8:06AM
I feel for all those effected by this disaster and hope this gets resolved its a disgrace.
Bryan MerrittJun 8th 2010 11:32AM
It is a terrible tradgedy for the birds and mariene wildlife who get caught up in this mess . But for the people who make their living from the sea and the touirst industry, Well its a real finiantial loss for them too!! And many of them may lose their homes and livelihood. I see a tradgedy beyound what anyone can imagine and we need to start a massive clean up immediatly we can use skimmers and straw and burning out in the open sea. and I don't worry about the inviormental impact from the burning of the crude off shore. It will have a much worse impact on the inviorment if we just let it drift to our shores and estuaries. We should also use sand burms to keep it out of our estuaries and beaches where possible. I think if our president was a real leader he would have implimented these things immediatly when the rig exploded. The Governor of Louiseana asked for assistance from the federal government but was told he could not build sand burms and use other means to save their shoreline beacause it might have negative inviormental impact!! Who in the hell is charge??? Certainly not Obama... I think Its Time to tell the Leftus Communists Green Movement where to stick it. And save our precious wildlife. British Petrolium needs to hire the fishermen and oystermen and the tourist trade people who are out of work to provide them with wages to help clean up the crude and they have incentive to work for those wages so they can get their bussnesses back to normal..
dpeppard.comJun 12th 2010 9:16AM
why cant the government or tony haywood get some sort of vaccum set up a take care of it that way .It worked in the u.k.this is ridiculous.we can not be so hard up for oil that we have to do off shore drilling.