Because of social media, I feel like Michael Jackson died right on my doorstep. The neighbors, more numerous than I had previous thought lived on my block, are all gathered around. Michael Jackson was a cultural phenomenon, a truth substantiated by the strong reactions his death has generated.
The online responses to Jackson’s death have been many and varied. It’s been only a day since Michael Jackson passed away, but Twitter and Facebook are crowded with thoughts about the King of Pop. The L.A. Times reports that other servers, too, are straining under all the transactions they’re trying to support.
Much of this activity is generated by the neighbors who genuinely grieve. Thanks to some dodgier Internet users though, there are also a lot of opportunities to contract malicious software floating out there on the web. As posted on Mashable, there are those who would offer Michael Jackson related news but only link you to malware. Be careful.
Another matter in which to exercise caution: false spin-off news. After Jackon’s death followed Farrah Fawcett’s, false information spread about other celebrities who had died. One of the prominent pieces is about Josh Bloomberg. The original article was written as a parody, but casual words have passed so quickly that the truth got temporarily capsized. Fortunately though, there are reliable online sources that are quick to refute such claims. At any rate, a good dose of skepticism is usually a healthy thing to nurse when evaluating fresh information.
For anyone curious about how the news began, SEOmoz mapped the journey Michael Jackson’s death took across the web. It is interesting to note how such small beginnings expanded so rapidly and to such great porportions once they hit the popular social media sites.
