Social Media Reunites Camera and Owner
September 9, 2008 – 3:27 pm by Griffin HammondThe Flickr blog happily reports that one of its members used the photo-sharing site to get a lost camera back into the hands of its owner.
Irenicdonna posted the following in the Flickr Help Forum and the “Scotland” discussion group:
I found a camera, 2 months ago, which I handed in to the police. It’s not been claimed so they’ve now given it to me. It’s a nice camera and I certainly don’t mind keeping it but I as the photos include a stag night and then some European travel I thought they might be somebodies honeymoon photos.
While the photos spanned Europe, a few images indicated the owner likely lived in Aberdeen, Scotland. She shared some of the photos online, including one of the camera owner - a young couple with a puppy.
Right away, local Scottish Flickr users analyzed the set of photos, narrowing in on the exact location and identity of the couple. After only one week (and 31 messages), the owner - also a Flickr user! -was contacted.
This story of selfless and stubborn determination is also a story about the power of social media. Irenicdonna’s virtue should be commended, but the great part of this story is the relative ease and speed with which the problem was solved.
Social media puts the power of the masses at our fingertips, illustrated at several points in this story.
The convenience of the discussion board and the popularity of the Flickr social network produced a happy ending.
The first respondent to the discussion posted it to his Twitter, to quickly get word out to his Scottish friends.
Another user pointed out a blog, “Found Cameras and Orphan Pictures,” which has a track record of reuniting cameras and memory cards with delighted owners.
Social media has always been about human interaction, so it’s great to see people using it to help others.
