Technology proved to be a vital link between individuals in the aftermath of the bombing at the Boston Marathon on Monday that killed three and injured more than 140 people.

Though some cellphone services were temporarily blocked due to heavy traffic within the Boston network, according to a Huffington Post article on April 15, social media sites like Twitter and Facebook allowed people to connect with their friends and loved ones, and show their support for the city.

Although this incident has left many stunned and horrified, it has also brought out the best in thousands of good Samaritans who opened their hearts to the wounded. Hashtags like #PrayForBoston began trending, and tweeters shared links to organizations like the Red Cross along with their messages of support.

Comedian Patton Oswalt wrote a particularly moving passage on his Facebook page that was shared more than 250,000 times on the site.

Google’s People Finder website, which was accessed more than 54,000 times and has now been rendered inactive, proved to be one of the most valuable resources that emerged as people scrambled to find each other after the blasts.

People were also able to locate loved ones by identifying microchips inside runners’ bibs, or shoes that tracked runners’ times and allowed supporters to follow them by text or email, reported USA Today on April 16.

Two Boston-based tech companies, Technology Underwriting the Greater Good and Fundraise.com, have extended their support by setting up an online fundraiser with the goal of gaining more than $100,000 to help the injured. As of press time, nearly 80 percent of that goal has been raised so far.

The incident has also propelled the rapid spread of misinformation as journalists and citizens alike scrambled to put the pieces together.

Many media outlets originally reported that cellphone services had been blocked by the police in case a remote detonator or cellphone had set off the bomb. But spokespeople for Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless said there had been no such requests, according to The Huffington Post.

Some sinister individuals decided to take advantage of the atrocity to scam tweeters out of their money. The fraudulent account, @_BostonMarathon, tweeted messages such as, “For every retweet we receive, we will donate $1 to the #BostonMarathon victims #PrayForBoston,” but was swiftly taken down by Twitter.

Jaimie Muehlhausen, a Californian man, decided to help stave off conspiracy theory opportunists by squatting on the domain name www.bostonmarathonconspiracy.com, saying he felt it was “the right thing to do,” as reported Slate.com on April 16.

Although we have seen many downsides to the rapid spread of information that today’s technology has allowed, the outpouring of affection by the global community has shown how quickly prosocial behavior can be mobilized, as well.

Both the media and public seem to be reacting to this event somewhat differently than to past threats of this nature. While many have criticized the spread of misinformation, this same technology has allowed the global community to come together in compassion.

Technology may have changed a lot about the way we share our lives, but at the core of it, we are the same. Those who use it for the public good will be rewarded, and public shame awaits those who act with negligence, malice and contempt.

Kat Smith is a senior creative advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected], on Twitter at @WhateverKat or by telepathy, if possible.

Published on April 18, 2013 at 1:25 am