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After the earthquake in Nepal have both Facebook and Google enabled services that help users to find loved ones. “Social networks have an increasingly important role in the rescue,” said Professor Per Gunningberg.
After the earthquake in Nepal have both Facebook and Google enabled services that help users to find loved ones. “Social networks have an increasingly important role in the rescue,” said Professor Per Gunningberg.
At least 3,700 people have died as a result of the great earthquake disaster in Nepal, according to Reuters. The material damage in the country is huge, electricity and communications come and go – and for many it is still difficult to get in touch with relatives and friends.
This Saturday announced Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg that the company’s service “Facebook Safety Check” enabled for Nepal. This means that all who are in any of the affected areas in Nepal, brings up a question if all is well. With a single click you can give a reassuring message to their friends and relatives.
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Even individuals’ friends can mark a person as “safely” or “not in the disaster area.”
Google has activated a similar service for Nepal called “Google Person Finder” . This service was created after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, to help relatives to find credible information about loved ones.
Services welcomed of Per Gunningberg, professor of computer communication at Uppsala University.
– I think this may have very great significance. It builds so clear that there is some type of connectivity in the area where you are located. And it is such a devastating event such as the tsunami disaster in 2004, so it may be difficult or impossible to connect to a start. But in many cases there is a partial coverage retained, with mobile signals coming and going. After some days also tend to telephone companies and aid organizations get up temporary cell towers – and that is the sort of services are very important, says Per Gunningberg DN.
He emphasizes that organizations leading rescue operations in disaster areas may be better at use social networking as an information channel.
– We know that people seek out something that works quickly and that they are accustomed to using. Experience shows that, among other things, Twitter and Facebook are growing in importance – and that these social networks can play an astoundingly large role, both to collect and disseminate information in crisis situations. The challenge for aid organizations and rescue teams are finding ways to take advantage of and contribute to the flow of information, says Per Gunningberg.
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