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Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

(www.nytimes.com)
623 points franzb | 4 comments | 14 Nov 15 00:25 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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olliepop ◴[14 Nov 15 02:06 UTC] No.10564032[source]▶
Every Twitter user has jumped aboard and is using the hashtag #PorteOuverte which is intended to help Parisians find a safe place to stay during these attacks. It's even trending in Australia. This shows that Twitter is a successful news aggregation and trend following service, but also proves its failure to be a platform for meaningful communication.
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1. theseatoms ◴[14 Nov 15 02:17 UTC] No.10564077[source]▶
How has it failed as a platform for meaningful communication? Aren't you reporting its success in this area?
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2. NickNameNick ◴[14 Nov 15 02:39 UTC] No.10564170[source]▶
People expressing something (sympathy, judgement, whatever) are crowding out the messages of people trying to co-ordinate requests for support and offers of support.

It's cool that the twitter user in Australia has a message of sympathy. But if you urgently need a safe place to stay in Paris, and you can't find the people making that offer, in a place meant for that offer, because the non-parisians are making too much noise, then that's a problem.

replies(1): >>10564332 #
3. theseatoms ◴[14 Nov 15 03:38 UTC] No.10564332[source]▶
Ah. I misread OP's comment.

Yeah, that's bad situation.

replies(1): >>10564749 #
4. saryant ◴[14 Nov 15 06:37 UTC] No.10564749{3}[source]▶
The feature isn't easy to find but you can limit a hashtag search to tweets near you. On the results page, click on "More Options" and select "Near You."