{"id":653516,"date":"2013-04-20T11:00:46","date_gmt":"2013-04-20T15:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gigaom.com\/?p=632742"},"modified":"2013-04-20T11:00:46","modified_gmt":"2013-04-20T15:00:46","slug":"in-boston-bombing-lock-down-the-best-and-worst-of-social-media-emerges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/653516","title":{"rendered":"In Boston bombing lock-down, the best and worst of social media emerges"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m a fan of Twitter but not blind to its abuses. And Friday’s Boston Marathon bomber manhunt, which \u00a0had my hometown locked down for more than 12 hours<\/a>\u00a0on Friday,\u00a0brought out the best and worst of the social media network — or more accurately — its users. I would argue here though, as bad as those abuses were, the thought of no access to the network would have made this whole ordeal, as bad as it is, much worse.<\/p>\n

\"Getty<\/a><\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As is usually the case when a terrorist act occurs, racist assumptions surfaced on Twitter and so did near-immediate blowback.<\/p>\n

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In between the updates and helpful links are the inevitable ignorant racist statements. #idiots<\/a> #Watertown<\/a>—
Anouk Vonne (@VelvetWallpaper) April 19, 2013<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There were fake Twitter accounts of the suspects and perhaps even a real account.<\/a> But not to be lost in all that was that actual useful information was brought to the fore.<\/p>\n