Apparently, it was this case of an 8-year-old girl — now found — who was missing in Green Bay. Green Bay is well over 100 miles from here.
Here's an article in Forbes from a year ago: "With Auto Amber Alerts, We're Opted In By Default To A 'Little Brother' Surveillance Society."
The alerts are a public-private partnership tour de force: Requested by the president after 9/11 and mandated by Congress in 2006, the Wireless Emergency Alerts are overseen by the FCC and FEMA; major carriers from Verizon to AT&T had to get on board and mobile handset providers such as Apple and Android had to make changes to their operating systems to make the alert on by default, as well as giving carriers access to their APIs to send the messages to phones.It's Bush's fault!
While you can opt out of the Amber alerts (if you’re willing to be thought of as a horrible person)...I am.
... and “alerts involving imminent threats to safety or life” (if you’re a risk-loving person)...I'm balancing the more real risk to my life: not getting a full night's sleep.
... you can’t block alerts from the President. The alerts go out to anyone within a geographical area, broadcast from cell towers....I'm 130+ miles from Green Bay. If the targeting were more focused, I wouldn't have noticed the opt-in and turned it off.
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I was awakened the same way, and decided to watch the Ryder Cup live.
The alert referenced New Berlin, which must be where the nearest cell tower is. I had no idea it was issued from Green Bay, which is well north of me.
They also use Amber Alerts for non-custodial parents hiding their own kids after scheduled visitation under a default theory of a dangerous kidnapping. That is silly.
I have only a landline phone, but it's set not to ring.
This cut down a lot on telemarketing calls.
Well, during the Cold War, we put up with those CONELRAD (later "Emergency Action Notification") tests on TV and radio.
In fact, the radios produced in the 1950s had two special markers on the AM dial. Those were the emergency stations to tune to in the even of nuclear war.
But Althouse, it's for the children!
The only amber alerts I've opted in to receive are for new posts to Irene's blog.
I also have an rh alert. But that's it. If not careful, one can become over-alerted.
"Hypervigilance is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect threats. Hypervigilance is also accompanied by a state of increased anxiety which can cause exhaustion. Other symptoms include: abnormally increased arousal, a high responsiveness to stimuli, and a constant scanning of the environment for threats."
traditionalguy said...
They also use Amber Alerts for non-custodial parents hiding their own kids after scheduled visitation under a default theory of a dangerous kidnapping. That is silly.
"Contempt of Judge" in a civil case.
Put your phone in the other room. Problem solved.
I haven't updated my iPad yet (and as always, am in no hurry to do so). Do iPads have the same problem, or is it only iPhones?
Ann, it is the society that some strive for. Forcing on them, what is good for them. That you don't see the value, doesn't mean there is no value for you. You just don't understand......its complicated....... and nuanced.
Leave it to those wiser and credentialed.
The Government decides when you are to awake, citizen. A note will be put in your files.
Seems like a great place to ask what part of the constitution the legislature referenced when writing and passing this law.
(The general welfare clause does not apply because this has nothing to do with the govts taxing authority.)
I'd be in favor of an alert going out to all citizens whenever Obama heads for the golf course.
It would be a nice contrast to remind the working class what the ruling class is up to, while we are busy working, and the world is busy burning.
iowan2,
It's the terrible sad things happen driven by sobbing personal testimony something must be done clause.
I think it's part of the 19th amendment.
My Android phone was giving me alerts from all over the east coast. I had a heck of a time figuring out how to turn them off.
Don't worry, they only do Amber Alerts for suburban white children. Your peace will not be disturbed for a missing urban black child: sleep well...
It is turtles all the way down...
I received THREE of those damned messages in the middle of the night. One was a Amber alert for "Berlin," which I'm assuming is not the same as "New Berlin," which is 90 miles from my location.
Plus two flood warnings, for which no location was given. No rain fell here, making the flood warnings equally ridiculous.
"Apple forced an iPhone update on me the other day, and it defaulted to 'yes' on whether I wanted to receive "amber alerts" and 'government notifications.'"
How did Apple "force" an update on you? In my experience with Apple computers and iPhones, we have the option to update or not.
Also, I have updated to iOS 8.0.2.--the most recent, unless 8.0.3 has been swiftly released without my knowing it--and I did not receive any amber alerts. Is this an app on the phone that does this?
"Hypervigilance is an enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect threats. Hypervigilance is also accompanied by a state of increased anxiety which can cause exhaustion. Other symptoms include: abnormally increased arousal, a high responsiveness to stimuli, and a constant scanning of the environment for threats."
This describes some who comment here.
I keep getting flash flood alerts for Cambridge, Massachusetts. There is never any real flooding.
MTM, Berlin is about 80 mile from Madison. West of Oshkosh, north of Green Lake.
I don't mind the Amber alerts, I'd rather err on the side of some kid's safety.
"How did Apple "force" an update on you? In my experience with Apple computers and iPhones, we have the option to update or not."
It suddenly took on a new system. I looked and it had shut itself down and was restarting with the new system.
And a few things do not work with the new system, chiefly the little game I enjoy playing when I am listening to audio.
All your cellphone belong to us!
It takes a village!
You didn't purchase that cellphone, someone purchased it with you!
Everything not mandatory is forbidden! Everything not forbidden is mandatory!
"It suddenly took on a new system. I looked and it had shut itself down and was restarting with the new system."
Automatic software (or so-called firmware) updating is almost always a good thing. The only problem is when the updated software is flawed, which is rare. That's when it's better to have a knowledgeable human on the job.
The best solution is to pay IT folks to do this updating (among other tasks) for you, even on your personal machines. Folks at Meadehouse, and above, income levels are able to afford this. There's no one to blame but themselves.
"How did Apple "force" an update on you? In my experience with Apple computers and iPhones, we have the option to update or not."
Robert Cook. Naive on so many levels.
"'How did Apple 'force' an update on you? In my experience with Apple computers and iPhones, we have the option to update or not.'
"It suddenly took on a new system. I looked and it had shut itself down and was restarting with the new system."
Weird. I have never had my system software update itself. This sounds anomalous.
CWJ,
"I think it's part of the 19th amendment. "
Ahhh, you're with me I see.
And jeez, of all the alerts the Presidential one is the one I'd most want to turn off.
Weather alerts? Not on, either, but if I lived in Tornado Alley I'd have them on--NOAA is pretty good overall.
Robert Cook,
Weird. I have never had my system software update itself. This sounds anomalous.
It happens all the time here. I get up and discover that my computer has rebooted overnight because some bit of software felt like it needed updating. PITA, by which I do not mean the bread.
Michelle,
Is your home computer running Windows? Microsoft does, I believe, push minor updates and bug fixes to their operating system during the overnight hours. At least least, this is the case with my work pc. I've never had any such automatic updates pushed by Apple to my home computer. I do get notices telling me there are software updates available, and I have the option to accept them, decline them, or wait until later.
I do not understand your reference to PITA.
If you have an iPhone, as the professor found, the switch to turn off Amber Alerts is at the bottom of the Notifications pane of the Settings app. I don't see what the point of these things are, I can't imagine myself recognizing someone from a description and if they have a plate number, don't they have automatic plate scanners? And should I read an amber alert while driving, because literally the only time this must work is if you see the alert on a traffic board and right below it is the car with the given license plate. Otherwise it's just marginally increasing driver distractions and marginally increasing traffic fatalities.
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