How Downdetector Has Become Go-To Site for Online Disruptions
- Website among first to notify users Facebook was down
- It tracks status and outages using crowdsourced information
Downdetector is a vehicle for users to report their experience.
Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomgerg
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When Facebook Inc.’s platforms went down early on Oct. 4, the online tracker Downdetector was among the first places users looked to find out what was happening.
Downdetector, which uses crowdsourcing to track outages, recognized Facebook’s problems were dramatically different than a typical outage. Its system automatically released a notification, including a tweet, informing the internet of the disruption.