Overview: At NXNE 2012, Dave Olson discussed the democratization of communication and how civic/cultural changes are amplified despite attempts to thwart dissent. Practical examples of people spontaneously using these tools in emergency and disaster relief situations were highlighted, as well as the historical forebears of these methods.
Blurb:
NXNE Disasters and Revolutions
From rallying citizens in Egypt and advocating for civil rights in Saudi Arabia and Libya, to natural disaster management in Japan and the USA, social media tools and tactics are used for critical endeavours beyond business marketing and personal expression. However, tools like Twitter and Facebook are often brushed off as non-essential or entertaining playthings by media and society despite the proven ability to spread critical messages rapidly.
We’ll discuss the democratization of communication and how civic/cultural changes are sparked and amplified despite attempts to thwart dissent. Plus, share practical situations where the tools were used spontaneously by citizens in disaster zones, as well as in emergency management and relief agencies in crisis mitigation strategies. Finally, by delving into historical examples, we’ll seek social media’s true fore-bearers for democratized, civic messaging.
Slides
[slideshare id=13213328&doc=disasters-revolutions-pr-120605161300-phpapp02]
Remarks
From Canada.com: HootSuite’s house of 100 owls
As a social media platform, Hootsuite has a front row-seat to the news of the world. When a natural disaster or social revolution takes place, users flood the service…other times, political unrest has presented Hootsuite with a sort of business Sophie’s Choice…“We need to be able to play both sides,” Olson says. “We have Occupy Wall Street using us on one side and major banks and organizations using us on the other.