The power of blogging

I've said it before that the power of Web logging is the immediacy and the intimiacy it offers.

Yes, the Web is known for quick information -- a basic site can be up in minutes. Live video. Podcasting. Breaking news.

But, nothing yet is faster than blogging. Especially with the free services available.

That speed and the personal communications blogs enable has never been more evident than the impact of the NOLA.com site in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

MediaChannel has a story from Online Journalism Review's Mark Glaser about the actual life-saving impact the "Times-Picayune's" site had on the residents of New Orleans. For example:

"[NOLA.com Editor Jon] Donley said that an aide of Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, the commander of the relief efforts, had tasked a group of people with monitoring the NOLA View blog, and were taking notes and sending out rescue missions based on the postings. 'In fact, one time we had some server issues,' Donley said, 'and [the aide] wrote us frantically saying, "Get this up as soon as you can, people's lives depend on it. We've already saved a number of lives because of it."'"

Yes, NOLA.com reported news, but it also allowed displaced citizens to post help for people still trapped, and other information via its blog.

That is the power of blogging. A definite congratulations to Jon Donley and the entire NOLA.com and Times-Picayune staff for their dedicated, life-saving work.

-- Mike

Technorati tags: Blogging, Blog, Weblog, Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Journalism, Citizen Journalism,