“Student Twitters His Way out of Egyptian Jail”

CNN is reporting that James Karl Buck, a UC-Berkeley graduate student, was arrested in Mahalla, Egypt, while covering protests. “On his way to the police station, Buck took out his cell phone and sent a message to his friends and contacts using the micro-blogging site Twitter. The message only had one word. Arrested.”

According to the article, “Within seconds [of Buck’s tweet], colleagues in the United States and his blogger-friends in Egypt — the same ones who had taught him the tool only a week earlier — were alerted he was being held.”

Twitter Co-Founder, Biz Stone stated that believed Twitter could make valuable contributions during emergencies and disasters. “James’ case is particularly compelling to us because of the simplicity of his message — one word, ‘arrested’ — and the speed with which the whole scene played out,” Stone said. “It highlights the simplicity and value of a real-time communication network that follows you wherever you go.”