ZDNet: Story: How the Web beat TV on 9/11 anniversary
…each Web site commemorating the events of 9/11 provided a slightly different perspective. Taken as a whole, they offered a rounded, more realistic view of the tragedy than TV, radio, newspapers, or motion pictures could ever hope to. And I still think they're worth a visit, even as we move on from the anniversary itself.

FOR EXAMPLE, I encourage you to visit Hold the Door for Others. There you can read accounts of true-life hero Ron Fazio, who literally held the door open and evacuated his co-workers from the World Trade Center, delaying his own exit until it was too late. Or try You Will Never Be Forgotten for some photos of, and simple tributes to, 9/11 victims, posted by friends and family.

For the story of a typical New York couple and their experiences near Ground Zero the day of the attacks, take a look at Reflections of Sept. 11 by Barb and Ed. Their simple narrative begins, "We saw the second plane hit on TV. It happened only a few miles from us." It then follows them through that horrific day. ("After walking to the car, we turned to look at the towers again and all we saw was a huge cloud of white smoke...Karen felt ill. We all felt ill.") While you're there, be sure to peruse the guest book, where 413 people from all over the country and the world have left their respects.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project estimates that as many as 30,000 of these commemorative Web pages were created in the three months following the attacks. In her report for the nonprofit Pew organization, researcher Erica Siegl of the University of Washington's Department of Communication wrote, "For many, the Internet afforded an opportunity for users to respond to the crisis personally. For those whose only contact with the attacks came through a television set, the Internet provided a way to connect emotionally with a 'virtual community' whose ties were not geographic, but bounded by common experience."
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2880227,00.html