The Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 showed the world examples of presenting information in different ways. One way in which information was shared was by websites, Phuket general hospital had the idea of taking a picture of every casualty that arrived then they would post the pictures on the website to aid families in locating missing relatives.
A way in which information was shared quickly during and after the disaster was by text and email. As there was so many people trying to call there relatives the phone network became overwhelmed and making calls became very difficult instead people texted to confirm they where OK this worked because as soon as they was a slight gap in the use of the network a group of texts were sent. The same thing occurred with email where people cued outside internet cafes to send friends and family telling them they were ok.
Virtual communities popped up in the time after the disaster to help first with the location of missing relatives then after the disaster to help raise money.
Modern communication services where used rather than older technologies such as telephone and mail mainly because the phone lines were overwhelmed and mail would take days to get home.
All the services used were very effective for the purpose they served, text was useful in that it gave people instant reassurance there relatives were ok. Email helped as it gave people abroad whose families where holidaying in the area reassurance that their relatives and friends were ok. Web communities helped people to locate friends and family and also after the disaster, raise money.