Thursday, December 30, 2004
BLOGS USEFUL
Der Spiegel hails blog speediness during times of crisis:
If you want to find out more information about this week’s tsunami of biblical proportions in Southeast Asia and how you can help the victims, the best place to go is a new blog in the Indian Ocean region that’s compiling everything from requests by organizations seeking donations to victim lists.
Blogs are at the forefront of the tsunami recovery effort. While traditional media drags awaiting publication, and government hotlines jam or go unanswered, bloggers have hopped into the fray, providing needed information to relatives desperate to find loved ones and those hoping to join the rescue efforts. One of the best sites out there is the South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami blog set up by students from New Delhi, a Sri Lankan TV producer and Internet junkies in the region. It offers everything from fascinating tsunami facts to emergency contact numbers to humanitarian relief organizations. Plus it tells you how to donate money from wherever you are.
Speaking of which, the Instapundit-assisted Amazon donation site has now raised more than two million dollars.
UPDATE. Make that three million.
UPDATE II. More on tsunami aid in an excellent piece at Red State.