Twitter and Fires

I've never quite "got" Twitter. Interesting distraction, but it seemed like a lot of attention and time being put into something that didn't quite have a return (exception is some of the services that combine twitter like entries with address books, so you can see what your contact is doing immediately before you call them)

With the fires in San Diego, I've been very concerned for family, friends, and former neighbors (horrifying to see neighborhoods you recognize burning to the ground on TV, and folks talking about some fires pushing all the way to the Pacific). Tracking things on line has been spotty and confusing.

The clear exception has been the KPBS twitter. KPBS is the local public radio/TV station. Their twitter feed is by far the most useful and timely information source I've found. Even though they have lost their transmitter to the fire, they continued to stream online, maintain blogs and Google maps, and have since moved to broadcast on another radio station. They are to be commended for providing such remarkable public services during this crisis.

The twitter service and format seems particularly well tuned to streaming commentary, which is exactly what you need during fast changing situations like wildfires.

For friends and colleagues in So Cal, be safe.