From the WSJ:
Since Danish Khan started "tweeting" about the attacks, the software engineer has 30 to 35 new people subscribing to his Twitter updates. Twitter is helping "those who are away from Mumbai who want to know about this," after some television channels stopped broadcasting on-the-ground live updates, he said. * * *
Users posted phone numbers for hospitals, besieged hotels and volunteered to help people outside Mumbai text-message their missing friends and family, when phone lines were jammed.
Soon after the attacks, a user using the name John Kenny started the first Wikipedia entry on the subject * * * After 15 hours, various users had expanded and updated the entry to include a chart detailing the location and type of attacks (grenades/ shooting/hostages), reactions from a number of embassies, names of some prominent casualties -- and even the news that the English cricket team had postponed a planned tour to India.
[One Twitterer said] "I had an information advantage of at least 10 minutes before the news guys actually reported it. I think it's [social media is] going in the right [direction] * * * We are reaching a stage now where information is disseminated by a lot of people, it's accurate and reaching you in a timely fashion."
One question. Where was Twitter in "Cloverfield"? Looks like Hollywood will have to update.
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