Virginia Tech shootings: the web reaction
Updated on 17 April 2007
Students caught up in the Virginia Tech shootings have been using the internet to share their experiences of the tragedy. Here is a selection of what they wrote.
The very moment that the shooting started - the world became a witness.
From raw footage caught on video-phones to online blogs, students at Virginia Tech were fast sending their stories to friends and relatives, and from there, around the globe.
The first many students at Virginia Tech heard of the shootings on campus was online - via an email asking them to remain where they were.
During the ordeal phones were jammed, and so students communicated via email and instant messaging - the most efficient form of communication available to them was the internet.
Since then, witnesses and other students have shared their experiences on the web.
Blogs
Some students blogged during and immediately after the shootings.
One blogger, icantread01, told his girlfriend's story: "A gunman entered her room, to which the class responded by getting underneath the desks and basicly hiding as well as possible from this guy. He then shot at the class somewhere between eight to 12 times and then left."
He added: "Because of whats transpiring, my phone cannot connect to the network, it's constantly busy."
ntcoolfool described the events following an announcement over the loudspeaker: "'This is an emergency. This is an emergency. Take shelter indoors immediately. Stay away from windows and remain inside.'
"Right on cue, I heard several faint gunshots from across campus (the Burruss area) as more sirens blared. The announcement repeated as the campus emptied and police ran across campus. I saw snipers on the library. My friend and I went to our dorm as people yelled at windows telling us that classes were canceled."
Oz said of her ex-boyfriend: "Apparantly he should have been in the floor that got hit the hardest, however, he partied all night and so he woke up late. Beerpong literally may have saved his life."
Facebook, a social networking site originally designed for students, has been flooded with responses to the shootings.
Over 500 support groups have already been formed, including a group called "I'm ok at VT", designed for Virginia Tech students who want to let others know they are alive and well.
As a large university, Virginia Tech has its own Facebook network within which its students and staff can communicate. This is being used as a forum to publicise commemorative events, to show solidarity and to share stories of 'near misses'.
Many of the deceased still have active profiles on Facebook. These typically include photographs, details of their interests, activities and relationship status. People seem unsure about whether it's a good idea to shut these profiles down, or even if it is possible to do so.
Ethics
These blogs have been widely quoted in the media. But there has already been a backlash against the growing practice of established news organisations using material posted by individuals.
Bloggers - whose writings are 'public' because they are on the net - tend to expect their readers to be their friends. They could not have anticipated their personal records receiving such widespread attention.
ntcoolfool wrote of his mixed feelings at having his blog picked up by national television: "This is ridiculous. I find myself getting excited because I'm on the news (Fox News recently shared the blog).
"Each time I hear something else I get a brief moment of selfish joy before I am stabbed in the heart, realizing that I deserve no credit and that lives are gone, destroyed, and in pain. What is the significance of all this?"
Some journalists have gone further, posting on websites or blogs with requests for information and eyewitness accounts. One LiveJournal user 'Paul' apparently received interview requests from an MTV News producer, a Guardian writer, ABC News and the Boston Herald.
He also received this message from a Canadian journalist: "Sorry to hear about this. CBC Newsworld is doing live interviews with people who are affected by the shooting. Can you please drop me a line when you have a moment? Thanks."
Virginia Tech, then, illustrates the importance of the instant communication offered by internet technology in catastrophic situations. But it also demonstrates the extent to which the media is coming to rely on individuals' own use of the internet in order to cover such events.
Researched by Esther Webber
