Most Americans still don't have smartphones, and if you're among them, and want to access Twitter and Facebook while you're on the move from Hurricane Irene to find out about loved ones or let them know your whereabouts, you can access the sites from a regular or prepaid cellphone.
The social networks were used on garden-variety cell phones to get information out and to spread the word for help during the 2009 protests after the Iranian presidential election, as well as in the aftermath of Haiti's earthquake last year. Regular cellphones were also used for tweeting during the Egyptian revolution, as well as after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami last spring.
Twitter's 140-character limit for messages, in particular, has made it an ideal medium for communication during times of crises, especially when it's used via text messaging.
Wireless carriers are already asking users to communicate by text-message where and when they can, rather than make voice calls, to help ease potential strain on their networks, sure to be jammed in the days ahead.
Facebook has a "Facebook for Every Phone" program that it says is "faster" to use than its own mobile site.
The social networking giant says on its Help Center Web page that the "Facebook for Every Phone" program, or app, can be obtained from one of three places:
1. The app may be preloaded onto your phone.
2. You may find the app in your phone's app store (for example: GetJar [or your own carrier's on-phone store]).
3. The app is also hosted on our mobile site — you can download it from m.facebook.com.
If for some reason your phone doesn't support the mobile app (most but not all do), you can always try the Facebook mobile site itself, at m.facebook.com.
Twitter, like Facebook, is more enjoyable on smartphones. But in case of emergencies, a Twitter account could be a very useful way of making sure people know your situation, or receive tweets via SMS from people you follow, even if you only have a "dumbphone."
Most garden-variety cellphones have mobile Web browsers, so to get the right Twitter interface for your phone, go to Twitter's mobile site.
If you already have a Twitter account, you can tie your phone to the account by clicking Mobile at Twitter.com, or by visiting m.twitter.com on your mobile device, then following instructions. (You can learn more about that here.)
Believe it or not, you can even use text messages to create a Twitter account. On Friday, I used a two-year-old prepaid cell to set one up. Allot about 30 minutes to go through the process, which involves using text-messaging.
Here's how to do it, with these instructions also available on Twitter's website.
1. In the United States, send a text message with the word "START" to this short code: 40404.
2. Twitter will send you a reply, then ask you to reply with the word "SIGNUP" to create a new account.
3. You'll get another text message from Twitter asking you to pick a user name, which has to be less than 15 characters. Send a text message back with your suggested username. You'll quickly hear back from Twitter whether that name is available or not. (I had to try about five different times.)
4. Once your username is set, you'll get a confirmation message.
"You're all set! Send a message and it will post as your first Tweet!" Twitter says.
Related stories:
- How to track Hurricane Irene online
- Get support and info on Hurricane Irene network
- Mobile apps to help in a hurricane
- Hey Irene, can you hear me now?
- Smartphones, tablets can be a port in the storm
Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.