Being Social In The Face Of Disaster | Best Of Interop Finalists

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Saturday, April 20, 2013 News   |   Commentary   |   Slideshows   |   Reports   |   Videos   |   TechCenters   |   Events   |   RSS Feeds   Tom LaSusa     Words can't even begin to describe our collective sadness at what happened this week in Boston and West, Texas. Though the tragedies are very different in nature, one thing that they have in common is the ongoing social media responses. A quick search of #WestTX on Twitter pulls up the latest news, info on missing family members, startling pictures and words of support. Meanwhile, in Boston, people took to Facebook and Twitter to keep friends and family updated on their safety in the immediate aftermath of the bombing. Days later, social media profiles are ablaze with shares of police alerts on possible suspect vehicles, updates on neighborhood lockdowns and more. While many of the posts have been incredibly helpful, there's always a flutter of nonsense: Misinformation -- both accidental and intentional -- can easily devalue the genuine efforts of concerned people. Case in point: Several individuals identified as suspects quickly found themselves part of a social media witch hunt. To their credit, they quickly went to authorities to clear themselves. It's easy to let emotions get a strong hold, especially when the faces of the victims are repeatedly flashed on our screens. Unfortunately, kneejerk reactions do very little to help dispense valuable information and only make things worse. In a disaster, natural or man-made, the best thing a social media "volunteer" can do is ignore mainstream media and share information from official sources such as the Red Cross or police/government profiles. Do you find social media tend to be helpful or detrimental in a crisis situation? Let me know at tom.lasusa@ubm.com. Tom LaSusa Community Manager InformationWeek.com • NEW Best of Interop Finalists Announced! • Big Data: Hype Vs. Hope At Interop • InteropNet's Live Wire Act Exclusive for IWK Readers: Attend Interop and help Build IT Innovation. Click here or use Priority Code MP_BTMNLIWKDLY to save an additional $200 off advanced pricing on All Access and Conference Passes. Join us for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 300+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. see also... Why You Should Attend Interop     INSIDE THIS WEEK'S ISSUE OF DARK READING People are your most vulnerable endpoint. Make sure your security strategy addresses that fact. Also in the new, all-digital issue of Dark Reading: Effective security doesn't mean stopping all attackers. Log In Or Register To Download       MOST POPULAR THIS WEEK Best Of Interop: Meet The Finalists Finalists for the 2013 Best of Interop awards have been chosen in seven IT categories, including cloud and virtualization, networking and security. The winners will be announced next month at Interop Las Vegas. When Tragedy Strikes, It's Not Social Business As Usual In the aftermath of tragic events, respect and restraint should guide organizations on social media. IT Salary Survey 2013: 11 Career Insights IT salaries begin to thaw, with median pay for staffers at $90,000 and managers at $120,000. Have You Really Started A Mobile Strategy? An app isn't a strategy. Why PaaS Is The Future Platform-as-a-service will become standard for Web applications. It's time to evaluate your options and plan a migration strategy. Boston Bombers Can't Elude City's Tech Infrastructure Video surveillance played a key role in identifying the suspects in Monday's tragic Boston Marathon bombing, setting a precedent for increasing use of sophisticated security IT systems nationwide. NASA Funds Propulsion System For Asteroid Mission Space Technology group looking at solar sails, asteroid capture among initial assignments. MORE NEWS QUOTE OF THE DAY "Nothing can confound a wise man more than laughter from a dunce." -- George Byron JOIN THE CONVERSATION Posted By bandrews017: "Why on earth would Microsoft even proceed with a plan to make the UI the same for both tablets and desktops? That's like trying to make every car produced with the possibility for the roof to fold back." In reply to: "8 Ways Microsoft Could Save Windows 8" View Entire Response | Post Your Own Reply   EYE CANDY: IMAGE GALLERIES 8 Ways Microsoft Could Save Windows 8 Windows 8's coming-out party was a bust. How should Microsoft revive its flagging Windows franchise?  View Now ALSO SEE • 6 Skype Alternatives Worth Considering • 8 MOOCs Transforming Education MORE SLIDESHOWS   RESOURCES AND EVENTS Event: E2 Conference Boston E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and achieve business value. Join us in Boston, June 17-19, for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/U, and more. Get More Details and Register Today.   This e-mail was sent to sojo.blo@gmail.com InformationWeek: The Week In Review -- Published By InformationWeek 600 Community Drive Manhasset, NY 11030 To update your profile, change your e-mail address, or unsubscribe, click here. Thoughts about this newsletter? Give us feedback. 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