A year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the nation is pausing today to remember the lives lost and the enormity of the human tragedy. The attacks also struck at the heart of the nation's economy, both physically in New York's financial district and tangentially, wounding already weak national and world markets.
Since the attacks, the focus in Corporate America has shifted for many technology companies to a new emphasis on developing homeland security products and services. For the first time since pre-dot-com boom days, doing work or providing information technology services for governments is en vogue again. For other firms, just staying in business has been enough of a challenge as the economy overall has lagged and the demand for certain technology services remains weak.
_____About Filter_____ Filter looks at the day's top technology news through snapshots and analysis of what the world's media outlets are covering. Washingtonpost.com's new Mon.-Fri. feature is penned by technology reporter Cynthia L. Webb. If a technology story breaks, a company falters or triumphs, or there's a new trend in technology, Filter wants you to know about it.
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_____Filter Archive_____
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Wired for Security (washingtonpost.com, Jan 20, 2005)
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For Techs, Are Happy Days Here Again? (washingtonpost.com, Jan 19, 2005)
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Video Game Dream Team (washingtonpost.com, Jan 18, 2005)
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A Failing Upgrade for the FBI (washingtonpost.com, Jan 14, 2005)
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New Year's Hacks (washingtonpost.com, Jan 13, 2005)
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Most cable outlets, network stations and publications today are dedicating coverage to Sept. 11 remembrances and ceremonies, as are many technology firms. In homage to Sept. 11, Yahoo! changed the look of its usually colorful home page to a stark gray with black print and a special "Sept. 11 We Remember" box linking users to memorial sites and other related information. America Online pulled all advertisements from its network of sites. Financial network CNBC's coverage is centered on an "American Remembers" theme, and the Wall Street Journal offers a special section featuring interviews with executives about what it's like leading a company after the tragedy.
Some companies are taking off the day altogether. One sector that plans to be relatively quiet today: telemarketers. "It's a day to sit back and reflect and not really press for marketing," Kevin Brosnahan of the American Teleservices Association told The Associated Press.
• The Associated Press (via Yahoo! Finance): Telemarketing Silent on Sept. 11
Today's Filter takes a look at how technology companies and the use of technology have changed or adapted over the last year:
Web Sites Help Memorialize Victims
The magnitude of the Sept. 11 attacks left many survivors with no standard outlet for saying goodbye to their loved ones, since in many instances bodies of victims were not able to be recovered. Technology has played an important part in helping people remember family and friends. Virtual memorials have been set up on the Web, many which started the day of the attacks and have spread on the Internet as a way to remember and share stories. "We all have a need to go somewhere and just sit and be with our loved one. A lot of us do that on the Web," Tracy Orr, who lost her husband Alex Steinman in the World Trade Center attacks, told The New York Times. One site that Orr turns to is www.legacy.com/legacytribute. The Web has also become a place to document history and share experiences about the attacks. Other sites include Wherewereyou.org, www.911digitalarchive.org and www.sonicmemorial.org, an audio documentary of the World Trade Center.
• The New York Times: Real Solace in a Virtual World: Memorials Take Root on the Web (Free subscription required)
• CNET's News.com: Web sites Commemorate Sept. 11
Yahoo today highlights a site for people to create a memorial tile online to remember Sept. 11 and the more than 3,000 people that were killed. It's one of the examples of the continuing use of technology to memorialize the victims. The uber-geek site Slashdot.org is rerunning its message board postings from the day of the attacks.
Techology to the Rescue
Technology came to the forefront during the attacks as people used e-mail, Blackberries and cell phones to contact colleagues and loved ones, especially as many people on the East Coast encountered jammed phone lines.
• Gannett News Service (via The Detroit News): How Technology Has Helped Terror and Fear
