Social Action in social networks
Santiago de Chile, Jan 232rd 2010
Saving Haiti
I’ve heard recently heard from experts in technology that spaces such as twitter, facebook, myspace and others are pure crap (excuse my language) and most often than not we have all looked down on sites like the giant Youtube, after experiencing sites like TED.com, under the impression that TED.COM has become a Youtube for “the smart”.
Well, tonight we all got a slap on our face.
In light of the recent earthquake that devastated Haiti with more than 200,000 casualties, one of the biggest fund-raising events after 9/11 took place tonight. TV was not enough. Here’s the story and how technology played a major role to bring us all together.
MTV and George Clooney led an initiative that will at one point down the line… become a milestone for the Internet world: Twitter, Youtube, Google, Itunes, along with Facebook and MySpace, joined in the Haiti Telethon called Hope for Haiti Now! in the next few days we’ll see how much money was collected, and I’m sure it’ll be one the greatest amounts of money since 9/11/2001. Gathering all A artists and broadcasting from the USA, Europe and Haiti, the event was followed from around the world.
US citizens could follow this telethon through all major networks: MTV, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, HBO BET International, CNN International, National Geographic and MTV Networks International. People from around the globe followed it and contributed through YouTube, Hulu, Facebook, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, Bing.com, BET.com, MTV.com, CNN.com and VH1.com. Along with the donations while the show was taking place, many Itunes customers will be able to give their money by purchasing parts of the show through itunes.com in about 48 hours!
Amongst the celebrities in this concert we could all watch Shakira, Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and former US President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Bono and U2′s The Edge, Coldplay, Keith Urban and Stevie Wonder. Haitian-American Wyclef Jean participated from New York, while Rihanna, Beyonce y Jay-Z did so from London, UK. From Hollywood, LA, Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Pitt, Halle Berry, Muhammad Ali and Clint Eastwood also made their contribution to this mega concert.
On a sad note, AMERICA could not broadcast the event, although it had been announced, since Spanish translation was not allowed. Weird thing. Thumbs down there!
If you want to contribute with money, please go to https://hopeforhaitinow.org
Would this event have been the same if Youtube, Twitter, and Google hadn’t paired up for a live version online? Would it have been the same if the major network sites hadn’t cooperated bringing their subscribers to participate in the way they did?
Educators (my main audience), IT developers and specialists and everyone involved in the development of the Web industry cannot easily look down on the current tools offered by the Internet. I oppose though the the Web 2.0 term! The web has from its very origin targeted at this type of communication. There are thousands of examples.. just search for Amazon back in 1995 ! and see how they’d already allowed their customers to collaborate in their products’ reviews. In education, back in 2001 through 2003, I had the Web “4.0″ experience! when 2.0 was just coined in 2004.
Collaborative and social communication and action tools have always been at the core and spirit of the Web. We, educators, cannot forget this essential concept and must put this to the use of our learning communities and individuals.
Mauricio Miraglia.
Look forward to your comments!
