The document summarizes how Twitter was used as an alternative means of communication during the 2010 Chile earthquake when other communication systems failed. It discusses how Twitter usage in Chile increased dramatically after the earthquake, from around 100,000 users to over 500,000 users. Roger's Diffusion of Innovations theory is used as a framework to explain how Twitter was successfully adopted in Chile during the crisis due to factors like its ease of use, accessibility, and ability to provide reliable information in real-time.

1. The Diffusion of Twitter in the midst of the 2010 Chile Earthquake David Nemer

2. 8.8 magnitude February 27th 2010 > 700 people dead 1.5 million people displaces > 500 thousand homes destroyed It was felt in 54 different countries 6th largest earthquake in the World 2nd largest in Chile The Earthquake

3. The Earthquake

4. Most of TV towers and cell phone towers were destroyed Landline phones weren’t working Cell phone networks were overloaded The major cities were suffering with blackouts Communication collapsed

5. 3G signal was up and running People were communicating through Facebook and Twitter. #Chile on the Trends list 2000 tweets per minute about the Earthquake Tweets were feeding mass media channels, CBS and CNN Communication alternative

6. #SeBusca Sheryl Breuker tracked down her sister-in-law that was in Chile Twitter cleared false rumors People were spreading news, comforting families and friends Twitter and the Earthquake

7. The micro-blogging tool spread amongst the Chileans Chilean users before the earthquake: 108.733 Chilean users after: 529.665 Twitter before and after

8. Attempts to explain how innovations are adopted by population What qualities make an innovation spread successfully? The importance of peer-peer conversations and peer networks. Understanding the needs of different user segments. Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations (DoI)

9. Diffusion process consists of four key elements. Innovation: Twitter The communication channels of that social system: Internet and television Time: one month The social system which the innovation affects: the Chileans affected by 2010 Earthquake Roger’s DoI and Twitter in Chile

10. Five critical factors that determine the success adoption of an innovation Relative advantage: ease of use and concise content requirements. Compatibility with existing values and practices: Twitter in Spanish Complexity: easy access, demands less bandwidth and portability Trialability: just by visiting the profiles and Free to join. Observable results: reliable and real time. Roger’s DoI and Twitter in Chile

11. Roger’s DoI is a comprehensive framework for understanding the spread of an innovation It allowed us to address user motivations and adoption behavior “Must-have” to help in times of crises: Multiple languages Portability Low-bandwidth requirement Simple design and easy access Reliability and availability of the information Conclusion

12. Are the Chileans still using twitter? The diffusion of the information having social media as communication channel. Future Work