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CONELRAD

Started by 02 Park Ave, October 02, 2018, 07:24:21 PM

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02 Park Ave

There will be a CONELRAD-type test on your smart phone tomorrow, 03 October, afternoon.
C-o-H


hbelkins

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on October 02, 2018, 07:24:21 PM
There will be a CONELRAD-type test on your smart phone tomorrow, 03 October, afternoon.

I have "Government Alerts" (and "AMBER Alerts") turned off on my phone. It will be interesting to see if I still get the test.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

abefroman329

Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2018, 08:51:56 PM
Quote from: 02 Park Ave on October 02, 2018, 07:24:21 PM
There will be a CONELRAD-type test on your smart phone tomorrow, 03 October, afternoon.

I have "Government Alerts" (and "AMBER Alerts") turned off on my phone. It will be interesting to see if I still get the test.
According to the following link, you can't opt out of it, and you'll get it if your wireless carrier participates in Wireless Emergency Alerts (another article said about 95% of phones in the US are on networks that do).

https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test

Frankly, if conservative parents were able to pull their children out of school rather than have them listen to a message from Michelle Obama about the importance of staying in school and working hard, then I should be able to opt out of receiving this clown's mandatory rage-Tweets.

kphoger

Looks like I'll be turning my phone off for about a half-hour tomorrow...
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Bruce

Some more information (including lists of supported phones broken down by carrier) here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/9kla5x/this_wednesdays_emergency_test_might_save_your/

Having a functioning emergency alert system should be a top priority for an industrialized country like ours. The entire West Coast is left unprotected thanks to a lack of earthquake early detection and warning systems, which could buy precious minutes for people to shelter in place and then flee from an incoming tsunami (as seen recently in Indonesia, where the alerts were rescinded or did not trigger due to negligence/lack of maintenance).

Duke87

If anyone else were president there would not be nearly as much hubub about this.

It's been longstanding practice to test the emergency broadcast system on radio and TV; we're all familiar with the message and the series of deep beeps that accompany it.

It may be unprecedented to have a test like this of the mobile network presidential alert system... but given how many people now rely on smartphones and don't regularly watch live TV or listen to traditional radio, it makes sense to.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

abefroman329

Quote from: Duke87 on October 03, 2018, 01:45:30 AM
If anyone else were president there would not be nearly as much hubub about this.
That's because no other President has been this irresponsible with the communication tools at their disposal. And if it had started under Obama, there would have been conspiracy theorist galore.

Takumi

Quote from: Duke87 on October 03, 2018, 01:45:30 AM
If anyone else were president there would not be nearly as much hubub about this.

It's been longstanding practice to test the emergency broadcast system on radio and TV; we're all familiar with the message and the series of deep beeps that accompany it.

It may be unprecedented to have a test like this of the mobile network presidential alert system... but given how many people now rely on smartphones and don't regularly watch live TV or listen to traditional radio, it makes sense to.
Yep. All I see is just the system getting with the times.
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roadman

Quote from: Duke87 on October 03, 2018, 01:45:30 AM
If anyone else were president there would not be nearly as much hubub about this.

It's been longstanding practice to test the emergency broadcast system on radio and TV; we're all familiar with the message and the series of deep beeps that accompany it.

It may be unprecedented to have a test like this of the mobile network presidential alert system... but given how many people now rely on smartphones and don't regularly watch live TV or listen to traditional radio, it makes sense to.

The difference here is that they are announcing in advance exactly when the test will take place (2:17 pm EDT) - which they don't do with the "normal" weekly EAS tests on radio and TV.  The fact Trump is president actually has nothing to do with the hubbub over this.

And the test alert is supposed to be a text message, so if you shut your phone off, you'll still get the message.
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Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

kphoger

Quote from: roadman on October 03, 2018, 11:34:17 AM
And the test alert is supposed to be a text message, so if you shut your phone off, you'll still get the message.

Including the wonky sound?
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

english si

I wonder if my brother's Irish phone will get this, given he's in NYC for his birthday today.

It would surely be a failing of the system if foreign phones in the USA don't get it.

kphoger

Quote from: english si on October 03, 2018, 11:50:14 AM
It would surely be a failing of the system if foreign phones in the USA don't get it.

IMO, that depends on whether or not it can be guaranteed foreign visitors won't be charged for receiving an international text message.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

nexus73

Bad guy in movie: "Attack them when they do their practice alert.  They'll never see it coming!"

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

hbelkins

#13
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 03, 2018, 02:24:18 AM
Quote from: Duke87 on October 03, 2018, 01:45:30 AM
If anyone else were president there would not be nearly as much hubub about this.
That's because no other President has been this irresponsible with the communication tools at their disposal. And if it had started under Obama, there would have been conspiracy theorist galore.

It did start under Obama. The enabling legislation was passed during the Obama administration. It requires a test every three years. This would be happening even if Hillary had won.

This isn't Trump's personal emergency warning account.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

RobbieL2415

Quote from: kphoger on October 03, 2018, 12:00:13 PM
Quote from: english si on October 03, 2018, 11:50:14 AM
It would surely be a failing of the system if foreign phones in the USA don't get it.

IMO, that depends on whether or not it can be guaranteed foreign visitors won't be charged for receiving an international text message.
The alerts aren't pushed via SMS, but by a separate communications protocol.  Any global-ready device should receive the alert.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: Bruce on October 02, 2018, 10:50:23 PM
Some more information (including lists of supported phones broken down by carrier) here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/9kla5x/this_wednesdays_emergency_test_might_save_your/

Having a functioning emergency alert system should be a top priority for an industrialized country like ours. The entire West Coast is left unprotected thanks to a lack of earthquake early detection and warning systems, which could buy precious minutes for people to shelter in place and then flee from an incoming tsunami (as seen recently in Indonesia, where the alerts were rescinded or did not trigger due to negligence/lack of maintenance).

Absolutely true. 

The reason why people disable these warnings is due to inappropriate warnings sent out.  A few years back, an Amber Alert was sent to millions of people in the NJ/Philly/NYC area (I forget the exact locations).  Fine and dandy, except the alert went out about 3:30am.  Millions of people were woken up to their phones blaring.  Many said never again, and turned off all alerts.

The purpose of an Amber Alert is to let people know a vehicle or other important information regarding the kidnapping.  Most people aren't driving overnight, so most people wouldn't be on the road.  Add in that they don't really want you looking at your phone while driving, and you're dealing with a useless piece of info waking everyone up in the middle of the night.  There were some defenders of the system and the alert (you know, the "Better Safe Than Sorry", "Think of the Children" crowd), but as far as I know none of them actually went looking for the vehicle.

US 89

#16
Quote from: roadman on October 03, 2018, 12:59:23 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 03, 2018, 11:44:39 AM
Quote from: roadman on October 03, 2018, 11:34:17 AM
And the test alert is supposed to be a text message, so if you shut your phone off, you'll still get the message.

Including the wonky sound?

It's a text alert, so the only sound you should receive is whatever sound you use to alert you to new text messages.  And you'll still get that sound even if you shut your phone off prior to the test and turn it on later.

No, as RobbieL2415 said upthread, this is not a SMS text message. That means it won't come up in your text message inbox, and it won't give you the same sound you set for text message alerts. WEA messages (whether they're presidential alerts, tornado warnings, Amber alerts, etc.) use their own system. The wonky sound is unique to that system, and usually can't be changed.

But that said, I bet the message (including wonky sound) will show up once you turn your phone back on. I remember once when I was flying to Tulsa, when I turned off airplane mode after we landed, my phone got an Amber alert that had been issued the day before.

kphoger

Quote from: RobbieL2415 on October 03, 2018, 12:41:17 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 03, 2018, 12:00:13 PM
Quote from: english si on October 03, 2018, 11:50:14 AM
It would surely be a failing of the system if foreign phones in the USA don't get it.

IMO, that depends on whether or not it can be guaranteed foreign visitors won't be charged for receiving an international text message.
The alerts aren't pushed via SMS, but by a separate communications protocol.  Any global-ready device should receive the alert.

But does that actually mean people won't be charged for receiving data packets abroad?
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

vdeane

It's possible for certain things to be free even with international roaming.  For example, if you get the "welcome to Canada" text when crossing the border, that is free, even though all other text messages would incur changes.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

abefroman329

Quote from: hbelkins on October 03, 2018, 12:32:51 PMThis isn't Trump's personal emergency warning account.
Color me skeptical that it won't be utilized as such.

US 89

#20
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 03, 2018, 01:28:27 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 03, 2018, 12:32:51 PMThis isn't Trump's personal emergency warning account.
Color me skeptical that it won’t be utilized as such.

He can't, per these articles. There's a law that says the system can only be used for true national emergencies. Even if Trump tried, this is a FEMA system, so even in a real emergency he'd have to go through them anyway.

Also, this system or its equivalent has existed in various forms for 60 years, and it has never been used, despite significant national events such as 9/11. That's a precedent that Trump probably doesn't want to break, or else his re-election chances will go down to zero.

abefroman329

Quote from: kphoger on October 03, 2018, 01:15:02 PM
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on October 03, 2018, 12:41:17 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 03, 2018, 12:00:13 PM
Quote from: english si on October 03, 2018, 11:50:14 AM
It would surely be a failing of the system if foreign phones in the USA don't get it.

IMO, that depends on whether or not it can be guaranteed foreign visitors won't be charged for receiving an international text message.
The alerts aren't pushed via SMS, but by a separate communications protocol.  Any global-ready device should receive the alert.

But does that actually mean people won't be charged for receiving data packets abroad?
It shouldn't be, nor should it count against people on PAYG plans or plans with data caps. Whether it works the way it should remains to be seen.

MikeTheActuary

Quote from: US 89 on October 03, 2018, 01:40:28 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 03, 2018, 01:28:27 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 03, 2018, 12:32:51 PMThis isn't Trump's personal emergency warning account.
Color me skeptical that it won't be utilized as such.

He can't, per these articles. There's a law that says the system can only be used for true national emergencies. Even if Trump tried, this is a FEMA system, so even in a real emergency he'd have to go through them anyway.

Also, this system or its equivalent has existed in various forms for 60 years, and it has never been used, despite significant national events such as 9/11. That's a precedent that Trump probably doesn't want to break, or else his re-election chances will go down to zero.

I would respond to the odds that that particular aspect of the wireless alert system would be abused, but we've already probably flirted with politics more than we should here.

The legislation enabling the system specifies that presidential alerts cannot be disabled.  However, I did learn on a mailing list that disabling them is almost trivial if you have a rooted Android phone.

I keep the weather alerts enabled on my phone, but I wish I could limit it to just the worst-of-the-worst.  (I want the short notice / immediate response alerts, like tornado warnings, even if the alert sound is too damned loud and annoying.
However, the system has seemed erratic about alerting when really needed.  Last tornado warning alert came in towards the expiration of the warning.)

oscar

Quote from: vdeane on October 03, 2018, 01:20:53 PM
For example, if you get the "welcome to Canada" text when crossing the border, that is free, even though all other text messages would incur changes.

Are you referring to the spam text warning you to upgrade your data plan while in Canada?

That text usually locked up my old flip phone, which I had to turn off then back on again to return things to normal. On my new iPhone 8, I can just ignore it.
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kphoger

Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 03, 2018, 12:55:16 PM
The reason why people disable these warnings is due to inappropriate warnings sent out. 

The reason I disable them is because I don't care about them.  If I want weather alerts, then I'll turn on the radio.  I never pay attention to the amber and silver and chartreuse and periwinkle alerts on VMSes while I'm driving, so I'm sure as heck not going to worry about them when I'm not.

I just hate receiving things I never asked for.  Junk mail, neighborhood newspapers, advertisements, weather alerts, messages from the President, etc, etc.  If I want them, then I'll subscribe to them.  Otherwise, leave me the heck alone.

And get off my lawn, y' dang whippersnappers!
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.



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