Ashtags to Ashtags

19 April 2010

By Peter Hoffer

assets/images/BlogImages/ScreenHunter_01 Apr. 19 10.16(1).gif

Like many people across Europe, the Intrepid office in London is experiencing the effects of the Icelandic ash cloud.  Yours truly should be working on his tan in Sydney, but the Icelandic gods have put a stop to that.

What has struck me most (aside from the awesome power of nature) is the growing rift between the information have and have-nots.  For those travellers stuck without access to a computer or their smart-phones, I could imagine the isolation of not knowing what is going on to be extremely frustrating.  The various tearful interviews of stranded travellers often focus on the theme of not having access to information.  So along with food and blankets, shouldn’t airports and airlines set up ‘pop-up internet cafes’ to help alleviate this?  If people can access news feeds, find contact numbers and email their loved ones, perhaps the feelings of helplessness may damper somewhat.

One of my major resources I relied on in the run-up to my to my (cancelled) flight, was Twitter.  Once again, this social networking site has shown how powerful information sharing can be.  I receive immediate updates from the UK Foreign Office as well as airlines through their Twitter accounts.  The rise of the new hashtag - #ashtag – means that information relating to this volcanic fallout can be searched efficiently.  I even discovered that the Icelandic volcano that has started this whole mess has its own account - @Eyjafjalla.  

Those in more severe situations are looking to other Tweeters to share tips.  The hashtag #GetMeHome has dozens of stranded passengers planning car-sharing trips to get home; #roadsharing is also proving to be another popular resource to get home.

Hopefully, this ash cloud crisis will be solved very soon.  Families need to be reunited, students need to get back to school, and people need to get their tans.  While it can’t stop the volcano, social media is again showing how valuable a resource it is when it comes to sharing information in a crisis.



Write a comment

  • Required fields are marked with *.