'Social Media', then and now. (BostonBombing and 9/11)

Hello ATS,

I wanted to bring something up that I thought about earlier in the week, or maybe more like last Monday. Like many, I was very impressed with the 'flow' of new information being posted, both during and after the attack. Posts were being updated with the latest news, right at the moment it was happening on the scene.
Not only on ATS, but almost all Social Media sites were swarmed with people...

Some people trying to get in touch with loved-ones, others posting status updates/photos/videos of what was going on... You name it. The rate at which information reached people, is remarkable.And family members knew who was safe, in virtually no time at all. Thanks to Social Networking and various other new technologies of today.


Now, on 9/11... granted...
MSM crews gave us first hand information and live video directly from Ground-Zero... and basically everyone in the country knew we were under-attack in a relatively short period of time...

But what will always remain a mystery, are the stories of the thousands of lives, trapped inside the Towers. Trying desperately to contact the outside. Either for help, or maybe just to say goodbye. The technologies we use today, would have made all of that possible. As well as, provided an unprecedented account of what really took place inside the buildings. Which almost makes the idea of having a fully-functioning 'Social-Media' fueled society, like the one we have today, on 9/11, actually rather chilling.

Just the idea of some of the images that would've been spread throughout the interwebz...

Can you imagine?



Haha,

Yeah...

But anyway, just a thought.
I'll post a link to an article that I found below, which basically talks about the same thing, going into a little more detail. Dated from 9/11 of last year.

How Social Media Would Have Changed 'New York' on 9/11

It maybe simple.

US govt is not going to use this to invade another country , so they don't need to spend much money for broadcasting and reporting from the scenes.

They may not need US citizens to fight for them , so they don't bother to inform them and make them angry.

IMO , this is a ring in chains of actions and we should wait to see how they use it.

reply to post by mideast


I'm talking about, 'social-media' back then in 2001.
There wasn't any of the 'easy-sharing' devices that we use today.
No facebook, no Twitter. etc.

And if there had been, it would double, maybe even triple, the cache of footage we have now.

The MSM was in Boston all day. No different from 9/11. That's their job.

But with the amount of people in New York City, can you imagine if people only had to grab their iphone to film the WorldTradeCenter attack? The amount of footage would be ridiculous. Including countless first hand accounts from inside the buildings.

I'm not really talking about whether or not the Govt. is funding the MSM, because we don't need to "invade another country."

o_o

(bump)

There would have been more footage but I think the first reaction would be to save your own life rather than post something to the net. To this day I still haven't even watched what all have happend during 9/11, right after it happend, I was on my way to Afghanistan. Sometime I think too much information is not good for everyone.

reply to post by rowdyrich


Of course 'saving your own life' would be top priority. But if 9/11 occurred right now, in 2013... and with the way social networks impact our everyday lives, it would be a natural response for people to share whatever was going on, both inside and outside building, regardless.

People today, almost instinctively reach for their camera phones, or anything for that matter, the second something happens. It's almost become like a reflex The internet has evolved so much since 2001, that the amount of first hand documentation would be insurmountable.

And yes, you're correct. Too much information is not always a good thing.
The images from that day would be far more horrific, even more so then what we've already seen.

Originally posted by rowdyrich
...but I think the first reaction would be to save your own life rather than post something to the net. To this day I still haven't even watched what all have happend during 9/11, right after it happend, I was on my way to Afghanistan. Sometime I think too much information is not good for everyone.

Doesn't explain camera bearers who don't do anything but just record; good and bad. Meaning, there are many cameramen who ignore the chaos around them and continue to the roll. Even on the more personal level, many videos show people recording situations where we all wonder "Why is this guy/gal recording and not stepping in to help?"

The information put out to the world on 9/11 would have been vastly different (videos, pictures, etc) than the controlled amount that made its way. Since the media thinks they are the gatekeepers on what is and what is not acceptable. The Internet and the explosion of that type of 'citizen journalism' has exploded, we get a confusing mess of Boston where every Tom, Dick and Harriet is a forensic analyst who has cracked the Di Vinci Code.

Ya'll are right and some people would stay and record/report till thier own demise. Some will think that they are heroes and others will think that they are stupid for sticking to what they think is right.

The tecnology has advanced and more information will be out there for people such as ouselves to dissect and bring up questions that the MSM don't answer. It does get confusing seeing different reports from different angles but that is what we need.

I was thinking about this exact same thing yesterday. Although I don't find a conspiracy in the Boston bombing, I am a firm believer that there's more to the 9/11 story than we know. If that happened in today's society with social media flourishing as it is we'd have tons more pics/vids to go through. Not only that but the first hand accounts via twitter, FB, etc would also be much different than it was back then.

In 2001 I had a motorola star-tac with no camera in it and I didn't carry a regular camera. I'm sure many were the same. Now almost everyone has a good quality still and video camera built right into their phone. The way people were stranded on the upper floors of the towers has made me cry in the past, so I'm not saying this with a cold heart - but imagine those people sending video messages of what was going on up there? That would have been crazy and although I personally would never think to document it (had i been in their position), you can bet there are people who would.