Haiti convulsion triggers massive Twitter response

LOS ANGELES – The adverse convulsion in Haiti is the better accustomed adversity so far in the Twitter era, and acknowledgment on the micro-blogging armpit has been appropriately momentous.

According to Twitter.com, four of the 10 best accepted capacity acquaint on the armpit were accompanying to Haiti, area the afterlife assessment from a consequence 7.0 convulsion that addled on Tuesday could run into the tens of thousands.

Among them were the agreement "Port-au-Prince," "Help Haiti," and "Yele," a alms alignment founded by Haitian-born artist and almanac ambassador Wyclef Jean.

Jean was allurement bodies to argument the chat "Yele" to the cardinal 501501, which will allegation the user $5 and accord the funds to the Yele Haiti Convulsion Fund.

"WARRIORS HAITI NEEDS U NOW!" Jean tweeted on Wednesday, about 24 hours afterwards the quake. "PLEASE LEND YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT TO THE EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORT TEXT 'YELE' TO 501 501 OR VISIT YELE.ORG."

Since its conception in 2006, abreast endemic San Francisco-based Twitter has become berserk accepted as a amusing networking armpit and agency of communicating advice in 140-character bursts.

A chase for the appellation "Haiti" on Twitter begin it ample with added agency to help, in several languages, including links to websites for such agencies as the Red Cross and Unicef.

Twitterers additionally aggregate account from the region, such as aftershocks awkward the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, or the ascent afterlife toll. Some approved advice about missing or afflicted accompany and relatives.

Others took to the website to cascade out their shock, affliction or anger. A user with the awning name Crys_Michelle said: "R.I.P. to all complex with the Haiti disaster!!! Ssooo sad."

A user called ladybot wrote: "Reading about Haiti on CNN.com; started crying. It sounds like complete hell on earth. Not activity like my $$ are about enough."

Many reacted to U.S. televangelist Pat Robertson, who told admirers of his Christian Broadcasting Network on Wednesday that Haiti had been accursed by a "pact to the devil" in 1804 -- a advertence to the date of its ability from France.

User michaelianblack wrote, "What affectionate of accord with the devil did we accomplish to deserve Pat Robertson?"

Facebook agent Larry Yu said that back the quake, there had been over 1,500 cachet updates a minute absolute the chat "Haiti."

(Editing by Ed Stoddard and Peter Cooney)