SoCal Fire Victims Relying on Web 2.0
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The conflagration that is Southern California is overwhelming wireless phone networks, and residents are turning to text messaging, blogs, and Web 2.0 sites such as YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter to keep each other abreast of the latest developments.
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Nearly one-fourth of companies surveyed by ChangeWave Research are now using Web 2.0-social networking software in some form, and another 8 percent intend to do so within the next year.The study is the organization&#39;s first stab at tracking Web 2.0 in the enterprise, said Joshua Levine, editor of ChangeWave Investing, an advisory service from the Rockville, Maryland, firm.&quot;I think Web 2.0 has been simmering a lot for the last couple of years under the radar, at least in enterprises; 2008 looked as we were coming toward it that this stuff would be exploding,&quot; Levine said.Overall, 39 percent of respondents said their firms are very or somewhat willing to use social software. In addition, among respondents whose organizations are already using such software, 35 percent said spending on it will rise in the next 90 days and just two percent said it will fall.Twenty-six percent of companies currently using social software said they plan to invest most heavily in wikis, followed by blogs (15 percent), social networks (13 percent), mashups (5 percent), RSS feeds (5 percent) and collaborative tagging (3 percent).However, the trends were somewhat different among future Web 2.0 users. They said their companies intended to spend the most money on social networks and blogs, which scored 22 percent and 21 percent, respectively.While 79 percent of current Web 2.0 software users said it is being used to improve internal communication and collaboration, only 48 percent of future users said the same. Future users were more focused on external goals, such as better customer service, greater brand awareness and increased sales.&quot;That&#39;s something we really want to drill into next time, why that is,&quot; Levine said. The company plans to repeat the survey, possibly by as soon as midyear.ChangeWave&#39;s report also tracked which vendors are benefiting from the Web 2.0 trend. Microsoft ranked highest in each of the six software categories, followed by IBM in a number of categories.However, open-source and in-house-developed software both showed strength. Some 31 percent of respondents whose companies are using or will begin using wikis within the next year are doing so with open-source technology, and 28 percent of those using mashups developed them in-house, according to the study.ChangeWave surveyed 2,081 people in September.
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At the Web 2.0 Summit, the troubled Internet giant was everywhere. But what was it trying to say?
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When a wildfire burns through tens of thousands of acres of California brush, tracking a suspected arsonist sounds like a classic case of looking for the needle in the haystack.
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(InfoWorld) - After smoke was spotted billowing from a San Francisco subway tunnel on June 5, the city government swung into action, alerting citizens via SMS to not panic and to expect public transport delays. The alert was from AlertSF, the city government's text-based emergency notification system for e-mail accounts and mobile devices, including cell phones and pagers. Originally designed to deliver tsunami alerts and other post-disaster information, AlertSF subscribers can receive alerts about flooding, power outages, and traffic disruptions. San Francisco's biggest risk is from an earthquake, said Laura Adleman, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Emergency Management. "People would want to know where they could go for assistance," she said, adding that AlertSF is "one tool" that helps the city provide that information. Alerting users about future earthquakes is not the system's intent, Adleman said. Predicting an earthquake is difficult, and the service's primary intent is to deliver post-disaster information. The service delivers U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)Â alerts of Northern California earthquakes measuring 5.0 or above. Launched in October last year, the free service now has 8,840 subscribers, Adleman said. Users can sign up for it on the AlertSF Web site. Registration took me less than two minutes; it offered the option to receive alerts in English or Spanish, via SMS (Short Message Service) or e-mail. Alerts are sent based on ZIP codes or areas selected, and depending on the importance, some alerts are sent to all areas. Users can opt in and out of nationwide Amber Alerts about missing or kidnapped children, California weather alerts issued by U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and USGS earthquake alerts. Noemi Margaret, a San Francisco resident and community emergency volunteer, appreciates the alerts, even though none has affected her yet. "I'm happy in having the alerts come to my cell phone" as accessing e-mail takes time, Margaret said. AlertSF not only could save lives, it also serves as a security blanket, wrote Brent Schulkin, a San Francisco resident, in an e-mail interview. "Every month or two you get a little text reminder that someone is closely watching these potential threats to your community," he said. Technology-savvy residents of San Francisco are also witnessing the service's growing pains. Margaret receives about two alerts every month, which is not enough, she said. "More alerts would not be harmful. Information should not be shared among the elite few," she said, referring to first responders, "it should be shared with everybody." First responders are usually first on scene in emergencies. Recently a city subway line stopped operating and an alert about it was not sent, she said. An alert could have let people know to find an alternative route, she said. Also, providing just an SMS alert is not enough, Margaret said. It should be followed up with a detailed e-mail about how citizens can act in other emergencies they were alerted about, she said. E-mail alerts include a link to 72hours.org, a Web site set up by the city that provides information on what to do in emergencies, Adleman said. A size limit prevents inclusion of the link in cell-phone alerts. In some circumstances, instructions will be sent as part of an alert,Â such asÂ asking citizens to get to higher ground in case of a tsunami. Some users complained about not receiving alerts, though that's a minor issue, Adleman said. The government is still evaluating AlertSF, Adleman said. "There's going to be other ways we communicate with people, like the emergency alert system and press," Adleman said, though AlertSF will be an immediate messaging system when the city is in response mode. AlertSF uses Roam Secure's RSAN CWS (Citizen's Warning System) software to send text alerts. As San Francisco is one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, the city needed speed and reliability to transmit emergency information, said Bart Spencer, western regional manager at Roam Secure and an emergency service industry veteran. Text messaging is quicker and more reliable than voice as it transmits information in short bursts and uses less bandwidth. Users have found timely text alerts useful, especially regarding traffic disruptions, Adleman said. However, after a disaster, cell phone networks, electricity, and communication systems may not work. AlertSF is an Internet-based service, and San Francisco has a server outside the Bay Area to keep the alert operation running, Adleman said. When the cell phone network is operational, users will instantly receive the text alert and remain informed, Spencer said. "It's better to inform people than not to inform them," Spencer said. Informed people react better in emergencies, said Margaret, a self-professed emergency preparation geek. "It's important that people sign up" for the service, she said. However, the sign-up comes with a caveat, she said. "I wouldn't want people to depend on that [AlertSF] over common sense."
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Thousands of people have turned to the Internet to search for friends and family members lost in the tsunami disaster, but the Web has also become the main conduit of private donations.
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Web 2.0 techniques enhance a military problem-solving site promoted by a defense contractor.
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Cal Evans has posted his notes from the (just passed) Web Builder 2.0 Conference that happened over in Las Vegas. PHP had its presence there through Cal's "PHP Powers Mashups" talk and others like Chris Shiflett.   There was plenty to see and do at the conference besides PHP and Cal highlights just a few:  AJAX Optimization talks  An overview of some Flickr Stats Google's mashup offerings An introduction to  and some talk of benchmarking Ajax  Check out the full post though - it's jam-packed with links and some great event information.
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In this digital age, the pressures of streamlining and efficiency lead to more daily functions that can only be performed online.  This leaves behind those who don't have computer access, equipment, or skills.
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John D. Halamka has updated his institution's medical libraries for a Web 2.0 world.
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Now that weâve analyzed the causes for verbal vitriol on the Net, letâs consider a cure. Readers like Ryan , Andrew and Forest Bell blamed the smears and flames on the anonymity offered by the Web. Thereâs lots of research to back the notion that an end to anonymity would encourage people to be nicer. [...].
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Web 2.0 moves into your neighborhood as firms vie to deliver local content to your cell phone
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Slashdot.org's new interface, called Firehose, will give site users more involvement in selection of articles.
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PEOPLE WHO who lose their web connection suffer from withdrawal and feelings of loss, frustration, and disconnectedness, according to a report released by Yahoo.
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Veterans of earlier fires are sharing practical lessons on recovery and rebuilding.
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Executives at Morgan Stanley and Pfizer explain how their companies are starting to use Web 2.0 tools to improve communication among workers and with customers.
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By Bryon Okada, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas  Sep. 15--DALLAS -- In a significant step toward developing a statewide system, law enforcement and government first responders in Dallas now have the ability to communicate via voice, video and data in the event of a catastrophic event.