Friends and kin use social networking site to locate loved o

[Daryl]

Friends and kin use social networking site to locate loved ones retrieved from http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/2/nation/4827799&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: The message reads: “Tolong carikan sepupu saya, Muhammad Septian Pradana (15th) dan Muhammad Yuniardi (13th). Alamatnya Jln cendana mata air no 2 padang (Please locate my cousins Muhammad Septian Pradana (15) and Muhammad Yuniardi (13). The address is Cendana Mata Air No. 2 Padang),”

It was posted by Lita Iqtianti’s (username: nenglita, from Jakarta) on Twitter.com calling on those on the social network to locate her cousins.


Working doggedly: A search-and-rescue dog taking a breather at the site of a collapsed buiding in Jalan Sawahan, Padang.

It was just one of thousands of tweets seeking help to locate loved ones and friends who have been affected by the Wednesday’s deadly earthquake.

As soon as Lita’s tweet appeared, her plight was re-posted by other users.

More than 24 hours after the quake, the site remains active with more tweets about Padang.

Social media users started converging to bring their views and experiences together to paint a better picture of the Padang earthquake yesterday.

On Twitter.com, top trending topics listed Padang as the site’s most discussed issue.

A plethora of thoughts and well wishes for the victims swamped the site as tweets poured in from users around the world.


Grim task: Workers using heavy equipment to clear the rubble and search for survivors in Padang yesterday. — AFP

Users also posted links to pictures and videos of the earthquake’s aftermath.

They also distributed useful information in the form of hotlines set up for the earthquake.


Refuelling point: Motorists and motorcyclists swarming a petrol station after the earthquake.