On a side note...

On a side note, I would like to preface this blog with a personal story...

Last summer I lived in New York City while I completed an internship. On July 18, a steam pipe exploded near Grand Central Station shortly before I left my office. I was about to walk to the elevators, when my manager stopped me and said he had just heard that a building next to our firm's office (we were currently at a client site about 13 blocks north and 2 avenues west) had just exploded. With no other information, especially in a city with its unfortunate past, we all assumed the worst: terrorism. I proceeded downstairs unsure of what to do. I walked outside and called my dad, who was on the other side of the country in California. For at least ten minutes, my phone could not call out. Everyone around me appeared to be on their phones. Fortunately I finally reached my dad and he immediately turned on the tv but could not find out any information. Within seconds of walking outside, I overheard hundreds of cell phone conversations each with a different version of the story. Who do you believe?

"A building just collapsed and people are running!"

That was all I had to hear. Typically, I would take the subway home but with the thought of terrorism on my mind I decided I would walk home (about 40 blocks and a few avenues). All around me I could see people in a panic. I decided to walk towards the site of the explosion (although looking back now that was such an idiotic thing to do, given the circumstances. It's funny because I never understood why people just stand around and watch when they could be putting their lives in danger and yet I was one of those bystanders). I passed people covered in soot and even some people who appeared to be bleeding. During this long trek home, I never once got off the phone with my dad, for fear of not being able to call back, as well as hoping he would find out the truth.

It was at least an hour before any news site or tv station on the west coast had any information about what had really happened. In actuality, a building did not explode. A building did not collapse (although people were really running). And most importantly, it was not an act of terrorism. However, for at least an hour, millions of people feared for their lives unsure of the implications. Technology could have eased everyone's pain. First of all, wireless networks could have been improved to allow more people to dial out (especially during a crisis situation). Second, a public announcement distributed through multiple technology enabled channels could have eased everyone's concerns. Public officials knew almost immediately that it was a steam pipe and not a building. And while they could not instantaneously rule out terrorism, it is much easier to justify a steam pip explosion as a natural disaster than as an act of terrorism.

As someone who is moving to NYC and has three siblings who lived in NYC during 9/11, I would very much like to see technology improve in situations such as these. My postings will very likely be influenced by this personal story and will reflect my feelings and emotions that I experienced on July 18, 2007 because it is the closest act of terrorism I have to relate to.

If you walked by THIS and had no idea what was going on, what would you think had happened???