Posted 01/26/2010 - 5:02pm by Julia M
Within hours of the news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, people from around the world responded with offers of aid. One of the quickest and easiest means for people to donate was via text messaging. Within 5 days of the earthquake, $22 million had been donated via the special 90999 texting campaign, orchestrated by the U.S. State Department.
Subscribers who texted that short code were charged $10 to their upcoming mobile bill. On the first day the campaign netted $5 million, breaking the previous record of $450,000 for such a campaign. This outpouring of relief, combined with continuing updates via Twitter and Facebook vividly demonstrate the power that these new media tools bring to our lives. It’s not just fun and games.
To read the full "Tech Trends" for the week of 1/25/10, click here.
