Blogs and the disaster in S.E. Asia

Articles of interest about mo'time, the blogosphere, culture and society

Tuesday, 28 December 2004

Blogs and the disaster in S.E. Asia

The terrible disaster left in the wake of the earthquake in Sumatra, and the tsunamis that it generated, is hard to fathom. Once again the international community of bloggers has come together to share stories, images and to provide help to the people hit by the disaster.

Read the New York Times article "Blogs Provide Raw Details From Scene of the Disaster" by John Schwartz.

Here is a quote from that article:

"Ms. Jardin of BoingBoing said people online often argued about whether blogs would replace mainstream media. The question is as meaningless, she said, as asking "will farmers' markets replace restaurants?"

"One is a place for rich raw materials," she continued. "One represents a different stage of the process."

Blogging from the tsunami, she said, is "more raw and immediate," but the postings still lack the level of trust that has been earned by more established media. "There is no ombudsman for the blogosphere," she said. "One will not replace the other, but I think the two together are good for each other."

posted by: howard at 12:37 | link | comments (5) |

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Comments:

#1 29 December 2004 - 01:56

Help the Tsunami victims out by donating to Mercy Corps.

jenius

#2 29 December 2004 - 14:50

found this blog yesterday:

http://raderstorfwwa.blogspot.com/

[a tourist-survivor's perspective.]

limine

#3 29 December 2004 - 15:30

Thank you, jenius, limine. Here is a list of other aid groups accepting donations for victims.

howard

#4 29 December 2004 - 22:29

Another story about blogging from the disaster zone, this one is an audio link to a radio show, The World, "Bloggers Report".

howard

#5 31 December 2004 - 16:52

In the process of rebuilding this corner of SE Asia, will child labor, sex slavery, and military rule be considered in any way? How about education, practical and otherwise? How might the economic gain generated by wealthy tourists, who want only to swim, party, snorkel, gawp and take pictures and head to home safe home?

Is there anything here to be learned with regard to the survival of the species. or do old paradigms and values just get in the way of humanistic and productive change?

I don't know. Just throwing words around again.