Happy Monday morning, nerds and nerdettes!
So the next time someone says Web 2.0 technology is annoying, irrelevant, or silly, let them know... Twitter saves lives, people!
The story of how Twitter kept one unhappy nerd from flinging himself off a bridge, and how truly pervasive these new methods of communication have become -- after the jump.
Twitter is a microblogging site -- predating Facebook -- where people will post their "status", effectively what they're up to at the moment. Gmail chat and the plethora of instant messaging applications have a similar function.
I have to admit, originally I was skeptical. I mean, who the hell cares if I'm plucking my eyebrows, drinking a cup of coffee, or reacting to the score from last night's game?
Turns out, Twitter actually saved someone life --
"Mr. Starr, who was driving around near his hometown, wrote in Twitter’s characteristic staccato, stream-of-consciousness style about picking up some chicken wings and getting a new haircut. Then his postings took a darker turn.
At 6:02, he sent out a note about a nearby bridge: “Maybe I should jump from it?”
At 8:17, bemoaning his lack of close friends, he speculated about being the first “Twitter suicide.”
At 9:39, there was a final note: “Alright this is it. Parked my car. I wish everyone who ever was nice to me well. See you in the next life.”
Mr. Starr didn’t jump from the bridge, the Sunshine Skyway across Tampa Bay. The police found him asleep in his car the next morning. But the incident didn’t go unnoticed among Twitter users: Mr. Starr’s iPhone was jammed with text messages from people frantically trying to reach him. Some had alerted the local police."
Totally worth the read:
The Global Sympathetic Audience
Monday, November 5, 2007
You're not microblogging alone
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3 comments:
There was a Post Secret last week that said "I wish I had enough friends to have a bridal shower." The comments were from women all over the world saying "If you live in LA/Chicago/Alabama I'll throw you one!" It actually made me tear up.
I love stories like this -- the internet connects people. It's a good thing. Yay heart warming Monday morning stories =)
This is a similar postsecret experience. Some guy commented on a secret with his phone number, inviting the sad guy to call him. Apparently, his phone rang for weeks straight.
So, do I need rescuing based off of my delicious links? Haven't used it in a while, but it's pretty heavy on Japaneese war crimes at the moment....
I miss Delicious. I was thinking about that the other day.
Perhaps the delicious links put you at .66 mathgimps of creepiness. I'm not sure about the rescue scale
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