Re: Text Alerts to Cellphones in Emergency Are Approved

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: Geoff Kuenning [geoff () cs hmc edu]
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 1:05 AM
To: David Farber
Cc: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Re: Text Alerts to Cellphones in Emergency Are Approved

For a few years, California has offered a similar e-mail-based
service.  I experimented with subscribing and forwarding the e-mails
to my cellphone as text messages.

It was a disaster.  The typical "child abduction" gets reported to
police when a divorce parent fails to return a child after a
court-ordered visitation.  One event usually generates 4-6 messages as
updated information arrives and is eventually canceled when the parent
is located.

In any case, child abductions are not a problem that needs an
emergency notification system.  Even in the incredibly rare case where
the abduction is by a person who has evil intent, people sitting in
their homes don't need to know about it.  The current system (putting
notices on electronic freeway signs) is safe and effective.

This is a classic case of a solution in search of a problem.
--
    Geoff Kuenning   geoff () cs hmc edu   http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~geoff/

You know you're a parent when you hear yourself utter the words,
"Throw up on Daddy's shoulder...good girl."

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