BaltTech: Catholic Relief Services embraces Skype, Facebook for Haiti disaster - Technology news: Digital tech, innovation, Apple and Microsoft news from reporter Gus Sentementes

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January 13, 2010

Catholic Relief Services embraces Skype, Facebook for Haiti disaster

The tweet about an hour ago from Catholic Relief Service's news department could not have said it any better:

@CRSNews CRS #Haiti staff continue to communicate via Skype and Facebook due to widespread phone disruption. New tech = vital link in emergencies.

With phone lines down on the island, CRS workers and volunteers are keeping in touch with with their relatives and colleagues here in Baltimore via Skype and Facebook, and it seems Twitter, too.

Another set of Tweets from 13 hours ago:

@CRSNews CRSHaiti staff letting their family members know they are well through Facebook updates and Skype. Phone lines down.

@CRSNews Checked in with CRS Haiti staff via Skype chat-Port-au-Prince team sleeping outdoors to avoid falling debris in face of violent aftershocks.

Are there examples of other major charities out there using social media to connect with workers on the ground in Haiti? Post your observations below, please!

This is an archived version of the technology blog. For updated coverage, see the current baltTech location: baltimoresun.com/balttech

Posted by Gus Sentementes at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Comments

my sister is member of UNITED NATION in haiti , she works on administration service am looking foward o know if she is alive, wud you please help me find out about this please!

my phone numebe is 0044 78 42 07 58 04 my mail adress is wainton@yahoo.fr

hope to heard you soon

thanks

Posted by: bertin ngabaya | January 14, 2010 10:46 AM

joseline nguekeu is my elder sister she works on the administration service for united nation i haiti , i cant get in touch with her since the earth quake start;

would you please help me with somme information about her please?

hope to heard you soon

thanks

Posted by: berin ngabaya | January 14, 2010 11:06 AM

I commented and blogged on the fact of the importance of social media tools such as Skype, Facebook, Google and Youtube

http://www.skype4.biz/134/skype-twitter-google-and-facebook-are-haitian-social-media-saviours/

Posted by: james wood | January 26, 2010 7:01 PM

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About Gus G. Sentementes

Gus G. Sentementes (@gussent on Twitter) has been writing for The Baltimore Sun since 2000. He's covered real estate, business, prisons, and suburban and Baltimore City crime and cops. He was one of the first reporters at The Sun to use multimedia tools and Web applications -- a video camera, an iPhone -- to cover breaking news. He hopes to cover Maryland geeks and the gadgets and Web sites they build, and learn -- and share -- something new every day.

Gus has a wife, a young daughter and two feuding cats. They live in Northeast Baltimore.

This is an archived version of the technology blog. For updated coverage, see the current baltTech location: baltimoresun.com/balttech

Follow @gussent on Twitter