They did this at the University of Calgary... and I think it should be more widespread! it is a very smart system, IMO

:O :O :O OMG TRRST ATTCK RLY OMG! WTF PITA! GO B SAFE! K? K! CU :O :O :O

Am I the only one that immediately went to: "I bet standard text message rates will apply."?

I mean, I want to know about Katrina... but do I have to pay 10 cents?

The university I go to has one of these systems for when some kid looses it and starts killing people. They tested it last month and I didn't get a text so I guess I made someone's shit list.

@92BuickLeSabre: I see why you're a star commenter. That completely made my day! haha

and i realize i spelled "loses" wrong.

@92BuickLeSabre: Oh my f*cking God, rolling on the floor laughing my ass off, that's great, thank you!

* returns attention to "Acronyms for Dummies" *

i think most universities have systems like this, and it seems like a great idea. although, i don't know what happens when the networks get flooded with text messages, anyone remember trying to make a call during the nyc blackout a few years back?

Can we opt out?

And then we'll all become dependent on these messages and stop whatever we're doing when they come through. After we've been trained, some guy flying around in a zeppelin will use our Pavlovian response to gather us up and turn us into Cybermen.

Looking forward to that.

@LJN: You don't get free incoming text messages?

the most exciting day of my life would be when i get this txt "OMG T3RR0R15T ATAK! W3R ALL GUNA DY!"

Great, government spam.

Can you imagine this concept spreading to individual government agencies? Imagine getting the following text messages:

IRS, on April 16th:

Oh hai! I can haz money nau? Kthxbai.

FBI, while you're at work:

We r in ur haus, readin all ur bank statmenz.

@Inepsa: Does anybody (here in the US, that is)?

Of course, following such alerts you;ll receive numerous "Dude, did u gt a msg frm da Govt 2? WTF?

This system uses a technology called cell broadcast. Instead of one message per phone like an SMS message, a single message is sent to the cell towers in the affected area and is received by each of the phones active on the tower assuming that the owner of the phone has enabled the cell broadcast or area alerts option.

If you have an ATT phone or T-Mobile phone you may be able to find this menu option already. CDMA carriers don't show these menu options - yet.

Because this is a point to multi-point broadcast the message does not congest the network like text messages and you don't have to submit your phone number to any database.

Secure, scalable and the message can be receive by all phones in the designated emergency area (including roamers).

Importantly, the handset owner gets to select which alerts he wants to receive weather, traffic, amber, etc.

@92BuickLeSabre: HAHAHA WOOOOOW, I can only hope that they hire you for editing!

I can just see myself in math class when an alert is issued, and everyone's phone vibrating at the same time, while everyone goes to reach for their phones lol that will be an awkward moment, especially for the teacher giving a lesson.

i already get AMBER alerts texted to me, and sprint doesnt take them out of my text plan either.

and i've had that for 3 years now.

so what happens when some asshole working at the fcc brings an unsecure laptop w/ the list home and loses it?

@jbhitter24: My school as a OMG txt alert. They did it right after V-tech.

I'll just stick to my blinking FEAR night light thank you.

You've got to be taught to hate and fear
You've got to be taught from year to year

It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught

@Weihovah: i was thinking the same thing. in '00 or '01, i worked at a cellphone store. we somehow got a hold of the broadcast number for a small local pager company. whenever a customer pissed us off in the store, we would punch in their phone number and close to 1000 people would all receive a page from that lucky individual... did i mention most of our customers where pre-paid?

i can only imagine this on a national level...

so let me get this straight, the government gets my cell number, and there is no way for a individual to opt-out?...

ya... somethings amiss here...

I see 2 issues.
First, the carrier better give me 1 free message or credit my account 8/10 cent credit
Second, get me on NY time so when I have an Amber alert in Arizona, I get a 3 hour head start!

If I'm about to die, I don't want to know.

@lonewolf333: It's not even worth the 10 cents, huh? :P

Good, I hate being the last to know about all of the terrorist attacks going on down the street.

I hope this gets used as much as the emergency broadcast system was used on September 11th.

Am I imagining this: Didn't Adam Frucci post about this Thurs morning? (The one with the blue b-berry.) I guess it was removed after being posted twice in two days.

According to the CNN story, users can opt out of the service. I also know that T-Mobile doesn't charge for text messages they send out if you don't have a text plan (like if they send you one saying they got your bill payment). I imagine the emergency gov texts would be free of charge.

@strider_mt2k: I am with you. It's been more than 6 years since 9/11 and they still keep coming up with new ways to keep us afraid. On top of which they still haven't nailed the bastard responsible.

This is more Bush administration fear-mongering at it's worst. Sure I care if something bad happens somewhere else in the country but I don't need to know about it NOW unless it's in my city/state. I can wait to see it on CNN.

@AndyMac: Not the Bush Administration, leadership and media in America as a whole.

I guarantee it will not end once Bush and his cabinet are out of power, because we live in a sensationalist society where every minor event is blown so horribly out of proportion that we cannot help, but believe that it is the most important thing happening in the world and we should all cower and hide and allow the government to run our lives for us because "they will protect us and they know best."

Our lives are no more safe (nor do we live in more peril) today than we have ever lived in the past 20-30 years.

@ViperBorg: No I rather be dead.