Microtasking crowd plays key role when disaster strikes

It’s 7:50 a.m. and you’re grabbing a latte at Starbucks when you suddenly feel the first tremors. You become aware that the overhead lights are swaying and you notice the sounds of items sliding off display cases onto the floor. You rush out onto the street where you see a jagged crack opening up in the concrete at a nearby intersection. People are screaming and running in every direction as debris begins to rain down.

So what do you do?

If you know about CrowdFlower, you whip out your cell phone and start tweeting—and your Tweets may very well save lives.