Everyone knows how fast information can spread on the Internet, especially on social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace. Everyday new Facebook groups are created not just for fun, but, over the past year, there have been groups forming for specific causes. After Hurricane Katrina, numerous common interest groups popped up, trying to bring people together to help the victims of the disaster. These groups received many members, and although they were just “Facebook groups” they still carried some meaning. There are often times where a disaster occurs, and families of victims constantly try to reach their loved ones, but are unable to, due to inoperable, or clogged telephone lines. What if there was a website that informed people of disasters all around the world, allowed victims of these disasters to reach out for help, and could possibly save lives? Today it is the Internet that keeps the world informed, and the Internet that has become an important medium for all types of communication.

Recently, two researches at the University of Maryland, computer scientist, Ben Shneiderman and expert in human-computer interactions, Jennifer Preece have proposed a new social networking site, 911.gov, which would “allow residents to report disasters, request assistance from neighbors, and check for emergency updates and relief information”. This website would provide up-to-date information on disasters occurring all over the world, and would provide a place where people in these disaster areas could reach out for help from their local communities. The social network would allow for better communication all around during times of crises.

It is interesting to see how online social networks are expanding to not only provide a domain to foster friendships, relationships, and business networking, but may be potentially used to save lives. If this website gains approval, which is questionable due to the cost of developing it, it will be interesting to see how effective the social network will be. I think any website that could provide the public with more information during times of disasters occurring around the world, is bound to be beneficial in some way. I know that during 9/11 and Katrina, finding information about what exactly was going on was difficult, because you could only rely on the media (televised news reports, newspaper articles, etc.), and you only had limited information about the condition of the people involved in the disaster. 911.gov, could provide the much needed extra support for disaster victims.

For more information about the 911.gov proposal click here