Many people believe that Social media services were instrumental in organizing the seemingly ubiquitous riots that garnered attention, but recent news have proven that most of the communication took place via the Blackberry BBM service. The riots began shortly after the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan on August 4.

Twitter became one of the best tools used to monitor the crisis occurring in London. According to Experian Hitwise, a web analytic company, 3.4 million people from the U.K. accessed Twitter’s homepage on August 8.

Twitter is said to have played an active role in the horrific London events that took place on August 6. People believed that Twitter’s service was used by organizers in planning this riot but latest news shows that Blackberrys were the main form of communication between rioters, most likely due to the free BBM service provided when purchasing the phone.

This particular phone is also inexpensive, compared to other smart phones available in the market. According to the Daily Mail, a vast majority of those arrested are under the age of 20, the youngest being 11 years old.

In a recent study done by Ofcom, it was found that Blackberrys are popular among adolescents and teens. The reason for this is because of the free BBM service that offers a free alternative to SMS. It is also a secure and less traceable alternative as opposed to tweeting and texting, which is why rioters used BBM to communicate.

Messages sent via Blackberry informed the participants of the plans in the area. For example, one message referred to Oxford Circus, a busy intersection of London where numerous businesses were attacked. It read, “everyone from all sides of London… meet up, smash up shops and get some free stuff,” adding: “if you see a fed [police] … SHOOT! “

The Guardian has acquired information of Government involvement in tracking down riot organizers. They have sought out help from security service MI5 and the electronic interception centre Government Communications Headquarters.

But not all of social media is being used for sinister purposes.

The recent commotion in London has inspired other social media users to take to Facebook and Twitter in order to clean up the streets. The website, Riotcleanup.co.uk, among others, has sprung up as part of a massive effort to combat the aftermath of the rioting.

The grassroots organizations are coming together in order to restore order. Such initiatives are proof that technologically enabled youth can do as much good, if not more, than the harm of others.

The inspiration of the page came from following the #londonriot hashtag. The creator noticed that #riotcleanup was becoming a popular trend on Twitter and decided to create a page dedicated to reshaping the destruction that took place in London. Today a little more than 82 thousand people are following this page. The riot clean up page had a positive effect, motivating people to volunteer, and to contribute in the effort to clean up the mess left behind.

Twitter, Facebook and RIM will meet on August 25 with Home secretary Theresa May and the police, in order to discuss the possible prevention of rioters from accessing social media services.
By hughepaul (Flickr: Police push rioters towards… my house.) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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August 1^st will be a decisive day for Long Islanders. A vote will be held regarding the possible rebuilding of the Nassau Coliseum, home of hockey’s New York Islanders, and the general redevelopment of the area.

On May 31^st the Nassau County (New York) Legislature held a meeting to decide whether or not to let county residents vote at all on the proposed $400 million dollar project, a meeting that culminated with a positive decision for residents, putting the choice in their hands.

Rallys had recently been held in support of the referendum. Understandably, residents, union workers and business men and women around the area want the choice to be theirs rather than solely up to the Islanders owner Charles Wang and other county legislators.

However, Wang was the person who first brought this plan to fruition. The proposal offers not only a brand new state of the art arena for the Islanders, but also will include the construction of a minor league baseball field nearby in the same complex. Rumors have also floated around that should this vote pass, a casino will be built in the area as well.

The initial thought is that $400 million dollars is a ton of money to be spending during such a harsh economic climate, especially on a hockey team that hasn’t produced much success, either financially or athletically, in over a decade.

Though this is true, residents should think further into the future, after these arenas are built, and look for the positives in the project.

Thousands upon thousands of jobs will be created both in the construction of these buildings, and the everyday operations of them after they are finished. In such a time when finding jobs is difficult in any place, people should not quickly turn a blind eye to such an investment without serious thought.

The project could prove to be a real boost to the overall economy of the entire county. A new stadium would bring much revenue to business in the surrounding areas. At the very least it would send more traffic through the area, and for the most part, people equal money.

Should this vote fail, the belief is that the Islanders will be forced to move out of Uniondale. Possible rumored locations include Queens, Brooklyn, and possibly out of state destinations such as Kansas City. If the Islanders are gone, the Coliseum will undoubtedly go vacant, and cause not only a loss of jobs and revenue, but create an unused eyesore for the community, a reminder of what once was the pride of Long Island.

August 1^st, 2011 may indeed be a day that goes down in infamy, with the future of Long Island waning in the balance, no matter the outcome of the vote. Residents are urged to take a side on the project in the coming months and go to the polls so they can have their hand in shaping not only the home of one of their beloved sports teams, but their home as well.

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