Bloggers Respond With Twitter-Sourced Charity Book
More than two weeks after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in northern Japan, it’s still easy to feel helpless at the sheer scale of the tragedy.
“2:46 Quakebook,” a Twitter-sourced collection of personal accounts of the quake and its aftermath that will soon be available for purchase here, is one group’s response to the disaster initiated by the local blogging community that aims to raise money for relief efforts (the title refers to the time at which the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck on March 11). All proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross.
The e-book, which has gone from conception to completion in around a week and a half, is a case study in the collaborative power of social networking, a vital tool for many in the immediate aftermath with cellphone communications and transport seriously disrupted. Over 200 people—both Japanese and non-Japanese, but mostly living in the country—submitted their experiences and reflections to the project through written accounts and photography, while the editing and design was handled by an international Twitter-based network of bloggers, writers and designers.
