The Chriso's News Blog

Correction: Its is stated in this blog that Jodie Rimmer was the creator of the Horsham Floods Community Information Sharing Page. Jodie has informed me that it was not her that created the page that she in fact created the Victorian Floods page on Facebook. I will attempt to find the real creator and attribute the credit accordingly.  However Jodie was very active to the Horsham Page. Sorry for any confusions.  

As a student of the internet it has been a fascinating week of events. As the East coast of Australia has been hit with flood from North Queensland  to Northern Tasmania there  many affected by the rapid rise in water into their homes and businesses.

Past technology relied on broadcast technology to inform people what was happening with the crisis involving themselves, family and

friends.  Often confusing to those who consume the broadcast media and a need to know more about how their love ones are coping in time of crisis. However many of the news reports are somewhat hyped to make the story interesting by the broadcasters and as results causes anxieties among the communities?  It seems that the experts “Police, SES and Emergency Agencies” involved in the crisis will place conservative warning out that gets transposed into life threatening drama by the broadcasters.  Victoria unlike Queensland who had an inland tsunami caught many people unaware Victoria was more in control and experts where able to predict in ample time where the water is heading and at what levels they will rise. Concerns’ over risks of levies not holding and defences not holding was considered well in advance of the water reaching the crisis point.

I live in the town of Horsham Victoria where the Wimmera river reached a one in 200 hundred year high( So it to be said but locals will contest this.) The river was expected to peak at 3.8 meters however the Walma Gauge was showing more like 4.5 meters. This raised concerns for the “Media Circus” of the broadcast media.   What infract happen was the the gauge had fallen over giving them an inaccurate reading. Experts still maintained the the reading was wrong. (Source: BOM). But one in 200 was news worthy.

So how do you get accurate information?

Unless you are a researcher who wanted to know what is going on then the media frenzy was all you had to go on.  Conversation in the street where based on media frenzy. 

Twitter is a wealth of recourse for the flood information as many used Twitter to communicate the information. but also Twitter had a lot of noise and mixed data about what was the real stories of the floods. Although the Queensland and Victorian Police quickly picked up the hash tags #qldfloods and #vicfloods their where plenty who where there as spammers and self promoting their profile based on the feeds of others. This made it difficult unless you filtered for Queensland Police or Victoria Police. 

Centre for Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation (CCI) posted an interesting blog SOCIAL MEDIA VS THE FLOODS on how Social media played its role in communicating flood information.

But Facebook provided a totally different experience.  My Facebook friend Jodie Rimmer started a page on Facebook for locals to communicate about the floods. Jodie who is social media savvy and seems to have a real touch with the community of Horsham quickly gather  2,716 followers to her page Horsham Floods Community Information Sharing Page. Been pedantic on getting good information out to the community Jodie posted all the official bulletins on the pages so as people where in the know what was coming from the central command. These where all official and not rewritten by Jodie. 

I first met Jodie online when the Bushfires came through Horsham 2 Years ago where she first started Facebook Community pages for the Bushfires.  Interesting at the time it has became more interesting to me now on how this page operated.

But the wall is the most interesting part of the Horsham Floods Community Information Sharing Page. Those who had questions had some quick answers from those who where in the know.

An example of what people wanted to know.

( XXXX is hiding the names of the participants for privacy reason)

Does anyone know can you get from horsham to melb? Or horsham to ballarat?

10 hours ago · Like · Comment

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 XXXXX just checked, the highway is open straight through now just down to 1 lane in some areas

10 hours ago · Like ·

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XXXXX Ok thank you
scott needs to go to melb so just wanted to check b4 hand

10 hours ago via Facebook Mobile · Like ·

___________________________________________________________

Katie  Hi to all the families in Horsham, I was wondering if anyone could tell me if Albert St horsham was effected in anyway PLZ….. xxoo Thinking of you all xxoo

Wednesday at 11:48pm · Like · Comment

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o Tanya  No… All good there:)

Wednesday at 11:52pm · Like ·

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Katie Oh thank you Tanya…..your a sweetheart….xxoo

Wednesday at 11:54pm · Like ·

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Deano Good luck Tanya with the town hall thing, id never been in it til the flood thing, pity they couldnt keep it and build one somewhere else, horsham is growing and could use if for something else. I can see why locals want to keep it the way it is. its kinda got that ole country feel. and this has only added to the appeal, huge fire and flood now in its history.

Wednesday at 11:59pm · Like ·

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Sharon No Albert Street was good, as was most of our area. If I hadnt moved out of my street at all I would not have known there was a problem.

Yesterday at 6:42am · Like ·

These posts are personal. Information not available anywhere else on the web. Asking after specific details of information. Yes they could call the already busy command centre set up by authorities using the old methods of communications “The telephone” and get the information they need but Jodie’s Horsham Floods Community Information Sharing Page bought collaborations to local community members unlike I have seen before.

Apart from the hundreds of request about pacific local details( Does any one know about the street my mum lives in)  The community not only banded together to get sandbags out but also those on Social Media where there to help those who were desperate for local accurate information.

This banded together a community spirit in a country community through the use of Social Media. As one post puts it.

Suzanne  Once the flood crisis has passed, can we convert this into a Stay Connected with Horsham page? I’m going to miss you guys!

Wednesday at 9:52pm · Like · Comment

· 8 people like this.

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Horsham Floods Community Information Sharing Page That’s a great idea. When the time comes I will ask for ideas on what to do with this page and the community we have created. Prior to that this page should serve to assist with recovery and finding assistance while things return to normal.

Wednesday at 10:21pm · Like · 5 people ·

o Jenni  This has been incredible watching the comnunity being so concerned and responding to each other. Its so much better than following over or under rated media reports. The pics added have helped loved ones see for the selfs. thankyou for making this site for the residents in AND out of horsham

Wednesday at 11:50pm · Like · 1 person ·

I am convinced that Jodie’s Social Media skills will create a great community page from this that other will use and respect. 

To conclude on this topic there was people who wrote on the wall where all genuine people who wanted to know about pacific issues and those who had answers. Almost all post where answered by someone who had local knowledge (Those that lived nearby) with incredible accuracy. Those (and very few) who posted misinformation where quickly corrected by other contributors. An example on how close the page was followed. The social and community was not only with the on ground volunteers but also on Facebook.

Well done Jodie and the Horsham Community who participated in Horsham Floods Community Information Sharing Page.

The Chriso

I am a student At Curtin University studying Internet Communications.

Tags: Creative Commons, Facebook, Horsham, Jodie Rimmer, Social Media, Victorian Floods