location + search = real results. not what you think.

As you know, this past weekend Chile was devastated by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. What you might not know is that this event provided the internet with a new opportunity to prove its value. Here are two stories that demonstrate that value.

First up is Google, who immediately set up a Chile Person Finder page. This page allows you to either choose the "I'm looking for someone" or "I have information about someone" button and search or submit information. It is basically a giant database we can all access and update. Very simple and very powerful.

The second example is a story about a Chilean family living in the U.S. finding a family member after the quake using Twitter, a few hashtags and the help of a perfect stranger. Soon after the crisis they posted they were looking for a relative on Twitter using hashtags to try to make a connection with a local in the town where their loved one lived.

They soon got a response from a stranger who asked how they could help. So 140 characters at a time they explained who their relative was and where they lived. A short while later the stranger contacted them via Twitter to let them know their relative was OK.

Read the story as reported in Mashable here and read the firsthand account from the family here.