It's the sad news that nearly killed the Internet. Google News, Yahoo!, MSNBC, CNET, Twitter, LA Times and more all went down from the insane amounts of MJ-related traffic. So we ask: How did you learn of Michael Jackson's death?

This is more than a simple survey. In the past, we've learned of major breaking news from sources that now seem incredibly reliable, like television, radio and newsprint. None of those media can be brought down by increased traffic. But while it's clear the Internet is taking over the flow of information, it's not clear that right now, it can handle such large news.

I myself heard about it from a friend, who had read it on the National Post's website, a major Canadian news network. But what did I do then? I hopped on my computer and Googled the shit out of it. Soon, when we ask "where were you when you learned of this event?", we may not be talking about geographical location, but URL.

So, readers, tell me: Was it Google? Twitter? Word of mouth? Suspicion based on the all-MJ set the DJ played at your favorite bar last night?

Send an email to Dan Nosowitz, the author of this post, at dnosowitz@gizmodo.com.