The disaster of Hurricane Katrina is mind-boggling. My heart goes out to all those affected. Like so many folks, I have a special feeling for the city of New Orleans. Inconceivable to think of 80 percent of the city being underwater.
Coincidentally, I’m writing a chapter in my book that considers the crossover of blogging from the realm of the personal to that of small business and corporate America.
One reason is human behaviour. In a crisis, people increasingly are turning to blogs to get an account of what’s really happening. They expect a blog to tell them in an in-the-moment, ragged, authentic voice, typos and all. They expect to see photos and video, however raw and unedited. It seems more real than the packaged report of a reporter in a wind-whipped anorak.
That’s what mainstream adoption of a new technology or phenomenon means. It’s based on reflexive behaviour, not on a carefully planned marketing strategy.
The connection to business is obvious, don’t you think?
Just as we turn to Google and an online search to answer almost any question these days ( …when was the last time you trekked down to the public library?), so blogs and blogging are becoming a habit.
Useful Links for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief & information
Blog for Relief (courtesy of Paul Chaney)
NoLa.com blog (dozens of stories submitted by survivors)
List of disaster relief agencies
Update
Slogging, and Blogging, Through Katrina
Op-ed article on the topic of crisis blogging by Kaye Trammell (The Washington Post – Sept. 3, 2005)