Topics: Digital Life

Web 2.0 Evident In Aftermath Of Virginia Tech Shootings

Posted by Alexander Wolfe, Apr 16, 2007 03:20 PM

The Web 2.0-ization of news has been evident in the immediate aftermath of the tragic Virginia Tech campus shooting. Bloggers have covered the event in real time, and individuals have rushed to post photos touching on the event to sites such as Flickr.

Virginia Tech is part of the broader technical community which comprises the InformationWeek readership. So, while I am somewhat hesitant about writing a post right now, when police are still working to determine exactly what has happened, and where silence and reflection is probably the most appropriate route, I feel compelled to take note of what's happened.

In that regard, the best of the Web is in evidence in that there's some sense of a community coming together in the photos being shared on Flickr, and on the blogs covering the shooting, as we all try to make sense of the senseless.

Here now are some public Flickr photos I found:

Within hours of the shootings, photos began to appear on the Web at picture sharing sites such as Flickr. (Via Flicker, http://www.flickr.com/photos/20793456@N00/461593427/)

Another example of grassroots journalism inspired by the tragedy. Via Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/20793456@N00/461587414/

Virginia's Tech's class cancellation notice also made its way onto Flickr; http://www.flickr.com/photos/hyku/461669217/

Watching news reports of the shooting in a hotel bar. Via Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/tgaw/461737845/.

Other pictures:

CollegiateTimes.com's photo gallery of pictures.

Here's a photo, posted on Flickr, of students taking cover in a French class. It's listed as a "public photo," but is sourced to a college newspaper, so it's likely copyrighted.

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