China earthquake Twitter Robert Scoble
Twitter Robert Scoble aka Scobleizer reports China, Eastern Sichuan earthquake in real time, 3 minutes before USGS NEIC reported it on their Website.
Robert Scoble
Would you Trust this man reporting the Evening News to you, least of all an important event as the Earthquake in China Eastern Sichuan?
China Earthquake Devastation
Yes, anyone can report anything on Twitter, but things need to be verified not taken per say. We do not want someone sending a Twitter message saying that Iran’s President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has attacked Israel with nuclear missiles, and based on this information President George W Bush declares Defcon one and retaliates against Iran with a nuclear missile strike.
So while Twitter is useful to disseminate information, that information needs to be verified through professional journalistic channels before take per authoritative value.
Robert Scoble picked up a Tweet from a Twitter user in China and has reported the even to other Twitters. There is nothing worg with this, and it is admirable. This is what Twitter does. It is an Echo Chamber! “You say, I say, we say!” The message bounces around!
The Truth and validate of the message needs to be verified or it can start World War Three based on some Rumor!
In the China earthquake case USGS NEIC is the verifiable agency! They have reported the Eastern Sichuan earthquake 3 minutes after Robert Scoble did on Twitter. But that is their job to check the integrity of the data before making it public.
Robert Scolbe has bragged about “Reporting the news first on Twitter!” Twittering the earthquake in China on his blog.
Robert Scolbe has bragged about it on WebProNews Twitter To Report Quake In China reporting his own article.
Businessweek.com links to the WebProNews in its own article Why Twitter Matter without one word of constructive criticism to the integrity of Twitter data.
BBC reports on its Website how smart Robert Scoble is. Twitter and the China earthquake. Again no word of criticism about the validity of Twitter data transmitted by anonymous users.
I am sure there tons of Main media Websites and news services that are given great review to Twitter, as if it is a new Panacea - the cure of all malice. Well it is not!
Only one person in social media besides me stood up and criticized Robert Scoble of his exuberance. It is Danny Sullivan the chief editor of Search Engine Land in is his article. Twitter Beats (Wow, By 3 Minutes) The USGS With China Earthquake News
I emailed BBC alerting them of this Spamming and abuse of the devastating suffering of the China earthquake people. But I doubt if they care. In the new age of journalism, it is report first and sell the news, true, false, inflated, has no relevancy.
Remember the recent “Teenagers buying hookers with dad’s credit card!” story? That was a fake propagated by an Internet Marketer for a British newspaper.
News is Integrity, let’s follow the process!
Tags: journalism, news, robert scoble, social media
May 21st, 2008 at 3:00 pm
A good journalist will always try their best to verify information prior to reporting on it. Without verification, it’s just rumor, which could certainly start a war - not good!
May 21st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Hey Kimba! This guy is not a journalist, he is into this for attention. He has like 20k followers on Twitter!
How can you talk to your followers when you have so many of them!
This is what Scobleizer said!
http://twitter.com/Scobleizer/statuses/814376174
This sure sound Totalitarian, not relationship between a leader and followers.
We all have something to teach each other! And for someone to say do as I say, they are just a big loser! Even if one is right they need to help a follower understand, not “Do This!”
May 21st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Ahhh, I get it now! I’m glad I’m NOT one of his followers then!
=)
May 21st, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Kimba, I really think something wrong with this guy.
Watch this video of him getting into the tub that is used for washing food and dishes.
He is laughing at it as if it is a big joke!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fredjohnson/2466523966
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Hi Igor,
This really amazes me that a person, not even a professional journalist, could actually “Twitter” such a catastrophe such as the China Earthquake that killed thousands of people in minutes, and a lot were children. Actually, I don’t know what the total devastation was right now. My heart goes out to these people, and their families. Then he bragged about it! How obnoxious…
You are so right, we need to have some integrity in reporting news, and news such as this does need to be verified. Your also right, the twitters need to be careful what they say, as NOT to end up with WWIII. It should first be verified before we shoot our mouths off to something we think is happening. NOW, most of us don’t do this, however there is always that few that does.
I think your right, this Robert Scoble is a bit off, I just read one of the links you have right here on this page, and this is not the first time he has done this. He seems to have an morbid fascination with Earthquakes. Maybe he needs his head examined by a very good psychiatrist. LOL!
Great post, Igor as usual….
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Skye B, Robert Scoble will jump on any Hot news and will sensationalize it to Promote himself.
He is just a Social Media Diva! A Wannabe Paparazzi.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Ha,this guy is kind of joke. 3 minutes! As his logical, one of my twitter follower send a twitter: http://twitter.com/vinta/statuses/808187546 Wrote in Chinese meaning “Earthquake!!” before about a day than Sichuan. Isn’t this ” fore notice ” better then his? ^^
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Randy, I would not be surprised that some people can feel the movement of the Earth.
I had a Chinese Kung Fu teacher who could lift a front of a car with his hands. The guy is only 5 foot tall.
I know American Indians can listen to the ground and detected horses coming that maybe days away.
I have a great idea, being that Robert Scoble is so fascinated with China and wants to be famous, why not have your Chinese Twitter followers give him some publicity. Maybe even have a bunch of them write a post about him.
With 1.3 billion of Chinese Robert Scoble will become Madam Butterfly overnight! LOL
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Attack Twitter Robert Scoble @Scobleizer
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:05 am
Robert Scoble what were you doing in Adam Ansel tub? You are not Rembrandt Masterpiece! Are you saying you have a Beautiful Ass? Or that you are an Ass! LOL
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:42 am
ah the greatness that is the mod mentality! Common sense used to be valued a whole helluva lot more than it is now days…
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:07 am
Nullvariable, when it comes to Robert Scoble, he will Sell his Ass for greatness!
Hey, he has his Ass on display already! Just stick “For Sale” sign on it! LOL
May 24th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Good for you Igor. To think that anyone would use such a terrible tragedy for their own fame and benefit is simply awful!!
However, in this day and time I am not surprised. It’s hard to surprise me with anything anymore.
I know everyone and their brother is on Twitter and Facebook. But, try as hard as I do…I simply can’t find the time to keep up. I do have a facebook account…but, nothing is there.
And if I have ever signed up for Twitter I don’t remeber doing so.
I hope things are going well on your side!!
Jackie:-)
May 24th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Hi Jackie! Yeah, the Social Media Divas are front and center!
They do not really care about the validity of information. They just care about grabbing any hews and pimping their profile.
Social Media networking is an important part of the society and a very useful tool for communicating. But like any new technology it tends to be abused by power humgry users.
I am sure give enough time you will come around to Twitter and will enjoy using it.
I would imagine with Face Book is the same. If you have a bunch of friends you can enjoy it, but if you start out as an unknown you will feel intimidated and will give up on it quickly.
Come follow me on Twitter and see what it is about.
Maybe some of my friends can become your friends and visa versa.
May 26th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Igor the new trend is Journalism as Art.Artists/journalist create stories with styles varying from the absract to realist.The best Artournalism uses a sliver of fact or truth and expands the story to promote their agenda.Scobleizer is an example…a tiny twitter allows him to expand the story which is Scoble as Cronkite…I expect a movie in the works!Much great artournalism is published in the New York Times!
May 26th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Gregory, of course I have no problem with the Dude finding the information wherever he can and building on it.
But he does not have to Brag about it all over the place and have BBC and other main media sources say that Scoble did a good job and he is a Master of Journalism via Twitter!
Come on where is the humbleness and integrity in his work?
May 31st, 2008 at 9:42 am
I was search about Robert Scoble on the Internet via Google and many people do not think he has any Brains!
Watch his video about Mahalo being the next Google!
What a Joke!
http://www.kyte.tv/channels/view.html?uri=channels/6118/47146
Rand Fishkin from SEOmoz thinks Robert is lost and has no knowledge about search!
http://www.seomoz.org/blog/i-used-to-respect-robert-scobles-opinion
Robert was Banned from Face Book for trying to export his contacts! LOL Looks like nobody likes him!
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:21 am
Scoble, talking out of his Asshole!
http://twitter.com/Scobleizer/statuses/824972291
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:24 am
If you think Scoble is a FAIL say it to him http://blameitonscoble.com/
A Website that Tweets a Fun message to Scoble!
Blame it on Scoble