International Web traffic hit historical peaks last night as online viewers converged in droves to stream the inauguration of 44th US president Barack Obama.
According to international reports, 21.3 million users streamed the video live from CNN online. The news organisation teamed up with Facebook to allow users to share thoughts instantly with friends while they watched the ceremony live.
MSNBC.com also reported massive traffic, with 14 million users pulling the live video off the Web site.
Continued legacy
The 2008 presidential race marked the first real usage of social media and social networking in a campaign trail and Obama's active use of online tools has been hailed as legendary.
The president's legacy is set to continue on the revamped White House Web site and through newly-appointed director of new media for the White House Macon Phillips.
Philips posted to the site yesterday, saying: “Millions of Americans have powered president Obama's journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the Internet to play a role in shaping our country's future. WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration's efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.”
He added that the administration would use the new site to “connect with the rest of the nation and the world”.
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