The Socially Responsible Role of Social Media in Crisis Management

*With more than 200 million active users of Twitter and over 1 billion Facebook users, the news cycle today is instantaneous," noted emergency specialist Anthony Mangeri. "With that in mind, emergency managers, both in the public and private sector, must build systems to monitor social media as well as have policies in place to successfully react to information provided via those sources.*

Hurricane Sandy, which struck the U.S.' Eastern seaboard last October, exemplified the use of social networks in disaster communications. Millions of residents were affected. For many, real-time information was provided through independent, citizen-generated Facebook pages like Jersey Shore Hurricane News and Twitter.

"Harnessing the power of Facebook and Twitter, Jersey Shore Hurricane News was able to keep people informed in real-time -- as events were unfolding," Justin Auciello, who started Jersey Shore Hurricane News, told TechNewsWorld shortly afterward. His bulletin-board page had received 191,000 Likes at the time.

TechNewsWorld featured some of the 21st century citizen-created news sources like those JSHN utilized during Sandy in "When the Lights Go Out, Social Nets Can Be More Than Friends."

A woman trapped on the roof of her car awaits rescue during the Toowoomba flash flood in Queensland, Australia.

Facebook to showcase new look for newsfeed March 7

(Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) will unveil a new look for its popular "newsfeed" next week, the latest move by the Web company to revamp key elements of its 1 billion member social network.

Facebook will showcase the newsfeed makeover at a media event on March 7 at its Menlo Park, California headquarters, the company said in an emailed invitation to reporters on Friday.

The event will be Facebook's second high-profile product event this year, following the rollout of its social search feature in January.

Facebook's newsfeed, which displays an ever-changing stream of the photos, videos and comments uploaded from a user's network of friends, is one of the three "pillars" of the service, along with search and user profiles, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has said.

Windows Live Converts Into New Social Networking Hub

Microsoft Corp is making plans to turn its Windows Live online services into a social networking hub. The new social network will merge other existing Microsoft applications which include Hotmail, Live Messenger, Spaces and photos.

The new migrated social networking platform is Microsoft's latest strategy to compete with other online community sites such as MySpace and News Corp's MySpace. The new Windows Live will feature a main profile page for users to add friends and identify them with photos.

Windows Live will also include more than 50 outside Web services including Yahoo Inc's Flickr photo site. Microsoft hopes to simplify new user accounts by using one login for e-mail and instant messaging.