Leaders from the worlds of gaming and 3D are among the international experts due to speak at DigiDoc, an international conference held today and tomorrow at the Engine Shed in Stirling.
Leaders from the worlds of gaming and 3D are among the international experts due to speak at DigiDoc, an international conference held today and tomorrow at the Engine Shed in Stirling.
DigiDoc, held as part of Historic Environment Scotland’s digital heritage festival DigiFest, will showcase ground-breaking technology aimed at preserving the built environment and is expected to attract professionals in the technology and heritage sectors from across the globe.
The event features academics and high-profile industry experts from organisations such as Google, the Smithsonian Institution. Renowned historian, Maxime Durand, from leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, Ubisoft will be showcasing The Discovery Tour by Assassin’s Creed: Ancient Egypt.
How the Red Cross is Leveraging the Power of Social Media for Disaster Outreach & Response
I had no idea that the Red Cross was 97% volunteer-led and was very impressed by the commitment, professionalism, and passion of their volunteers. It was eye-opening and inspiring to learn about how social media as a tool can help accelerate and expand their reach and reduce response time in emergency communications and disaster response situations. American Red Cross Dallas Fort-Worth Digital Communications Manager, Amy Yen said that often they find themselves encouraging people to take immediate shelter due to tornado warning, or just being a supportive voice if they are displaced or missing a loved one. By monitoring Twitter, they have also been able to identify disaster-struck areas that were not reported and send immediate assistance. Amy is super passionate about the work and her team of digital volunteers and shared, “Sometimes I have to stay up all night watching the weather. But if I can help even one person know what to do in a tornado, it’s all worth it.”
According to a University of San Francisco survey, more than 70 percent of people in disaster situations use social media to let their families and friends know that they are OK. Social media monitoring and emergency communications are services that are increasingly in demand due to extreme weather patterns, so I am guessing that Twitter will continue to be a very important source of information for humanitarian organizations around the world. FEMA recently developed a smart phone app that maps open shelters, provides emergency meeting location information, and allows people to take and submit GPS photo reports of disasters to be displayed on a public map for others to view.
Twitter as a platform has the potential to aggregate data and information for social good in many meaningful ways! Join us on our Facebook page to chat about ways Twitter can change the world. And also be sure to check out the Red Cross Dallas Fort-Worth and their DigiDOC resources via @RedCrossDFW #SMEM #digiDFW.
Want to become a Red Cross digital volunteer? Give them a call at 214.678.4800.
Infographic via USF's Online MPA and thanks to an awesome article by MediaBistro.com
