Transmitting grief and tributes quickly

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, April, 2007 | by Miriam Hill Inquirer Staff Writer

By early afternoon yesterday, the Web was filled with tributes to victims of the Virginia Tech shootings, photos and video from the campus as the tragedy unfolded, and firsthand accounts of the shootings - delivered via text message.

Even the violent, obscenity-laden plays allegedly written by the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, had found their way to AOL's Web site.

While the gunman was still on the loose Monday, Virginia Tech students, their friends and relatives checked on loved ones' well-being on sites such as Facebook.com, MySpace and LiveJournal.com, where students left updates on their safety.

Technology has created new ways for people to mourn - communally and quickly.

"It's very natural that students would flock to social-networking sites to grieve," said...