1. The commons of the tragedy CSTB Meeting on the Internet under crisis
Lee Rainie - Director
CSTB Meeting on the Internet under crisis
3/6/02

2. September 11 – Internet population fell
Number of American adults online dropped more than 10% on September 11 and 7% on September 12
Number of users dropped 17% in the week after the attack
Drops in the number of those
pursuing hobbies online (-50%)
purchasing goods (-50%)
seeking medical information (-40%)
browsing for fun (-35%)
doing work-related research (-24%)

3. What was up More intense and prolonged searching and content creation
News rose 32%
Instant messaging rose 18%
Government Web sites
Charity and volunteer sites
Online community activity rose nearly fourfold

4. Overall activity online
69% of Internet users got some kind of news and information about attacks online
50% sought some news about attacks
33% financial market reaction
23% searched for info. about Osama Bin Laden
21% sought info. about Afghanistan
15% sought info. about victims and survivors
13% sought info. about Islam
12% visited commemorative Web sites

5. Email content 72% used email in some way related to events
grieving, consoling, expressing patriotism, finding long-lost friends, making/receiving prayer requests, hashing out military and political options

6. What didn’t work
32% of all Americans said they had trouble placing phone calls on Sept. 11
7 million people say they turned to the Internet to make contact with loved ones after they had trouble using the phone
43% of Internet users had trouble accessing Web sites they wanted to reach on Sept. 11
19 million eventually reached site
18 million went to other sites
10 million gave up on using Internet to get news

7. The Internet: A useful supplement
79% say TV was the source of most of their news
Only 6% of Internet veterans say they got most of their news online
Internet users were twice as likely to place calls to key family members as write them s and half again as likely to make calls to friends as write them s

8. The virtual commons: Raw emotion
“This is absolute chaos… a sheer tragedy…how could this happen here?”
-- Tori Hill, Yahoo’s Sept11 reaction site
 “I wonder if I will ever sleep peacefully again after seeing those bodies falling. I wonder if I will ever stop crying.”
--- Blogger named ponygirl at Blogger.com
Others reacted with fear and anger, such as this member of the Well: “I have numerous friends and business associates who work in the WTC complex. We are devastated. I want blood, now.”
raw emotion
hunt for details
consoling
practical advice
deeper information digging and news dissemination
political discussion

9. The virtual commons: Hunt for details
“People, please keep these reports coming. I have friends in New York but right now this is my only source of information. All the news sites are totally jammed.”
-- Markmark33 in an AOL chat room
sandman71 posted on ABCnews.com – at 10:38 a.m. on Sept. 12
“Facts. Please keep giving us facts. I have had such trouble reaching this site. I’m afraid to refresh the page because I might lose contact. What is happening? Where is it happening? What will happen next? Where are we safe? How can we respond? Information will help us and maybe even begin to heal us. Please, please tell us everything you know.”
Others however, decided to turn off their computers: “This is definitely a case where online sources are going to lag well behind TV. It's on all the major channels. I think all Americans should be let out of work/school to watch; it's major history. What I mean is that this is one of those times to abandon your computer and go turn on a TV. Any TV.”

10. The virtual commons: Tests of faith
“I don't know what I believe anymore. I am not even sure how I feel about God. I use to believe all things happen for a reason but have since decided that is an idiotic way to believe…I have decided to leave Beliefnet for a while and think things out. I have been a member nearly a year and met some pretty wonderful people. I will miss you all. Please pray for me.”
-- corinthianxx on Beliefnet.com
To which a respondent named Zion wrote:
“While your faith is tested corintianxx, I will try to find ways to double my prayers for you. If ever you want to find a “screen to cry on” you can write me at xxxx”

11. The virtual commons: Grief and consoling
“I cry at strange times in strange places and at the strangest triggers. Today I went grocery shopping and started crying when I noticed the biggest selling Halloween costume: A rack of Firefighter costumes. Kids want to be like their heroes and many kids have seen and decided that wrestlers and cartoon characters, comic book characters aren't heroic enough for them anymore. I cried while I watched a little boy try on the helmets. Right there in the store. Is it just me?”
--LadyMarchHare on The Well
Gensingg34 at a GeoCities commemorative site wrote: “Many of you reading this will sometimes be depressed, so write to me what you feel…. And I will write back reminding you of all the good you can still see in the world – those heroic rescuers, the people on Flight 77 in Pennsylvania. Then we can think together about ways you can do some good in the world, too.”

12. The virtual commons: Practical advice
Are you okay? How can I help?
Here is the place you can go to donate blood, attend a meeting, volunteer, attend a service
Here are things you can do to help in your community
Here is the latest news I’ve heard
·        58% of Americans contributed to relief efforts
·        48% attended a religious service
·        17% tried to donate blood
·        10% attended meetings
Accompanying the surge of participation with a kind of grassroots news gathering and dissemination process. It fed a growing hunger for news and information.
·        23% looking for information about Islam (about half the number getting information about financial markets)
·        21% info about Afghanistan
·        33% were checking the jittery financial markets
·        about 10% consulted foreign news sources

13. The virtual commons: Political discussion
“I fear he [President Bush] will use excessive force which will lead to more terrorist attacks and possibly war. I would feel so much better if Clinton was in office.”
-- donation111 in the Yahoo Sept. 11 attack site
“I am not a Bush fan, I didn't like his dad and I don't like his brother, however he has my full support as leader of the country, his speech writers are remarkable and it [the President’s speech to Congress on September 20] was delivered to perfection.”
-- janesommers in International Women’s Forum

14. The new online normalcy
More news searching
More interest in government and politics
More community participation
More spiritual activity
But return to the usual levels of interest in other activities
A new seriousness online – part of a broader pattern that takes place as people “grow up” online