Annoying Emergency Alerts

[anon(4698833)]

Agreed and it is meant to bring attention....That is why they are called Emergency Alerts. They, Apple and the National Standards don't want them to be anything other than how they are set up.

I don't think anyone is confused as the purpose of them. There is logic to bringing a less general spectrum targeting system to them though...as with anything, furthering the technology only makes it more useful and accurate.

 

[Massie]

I don't think anyone is confused as the purpose of them. There is logic to bringing a less general spectrum targeting system to them though...as with anything, furthering the technology only makes it more useful and accurate.

I think that the first time they go off, many people are very confused--at least in my experience. This is a feature that just rolled out to a lot of AT&T users, and the only notice about it was a popup that said a "carrier update" had been pushed to your device. There was no mention of the alerts or any new feature, when they would be deployed, or how to disable them. People just see "an update" and click OK. Then, a few days later, the phone they've had for over a year starts blasting an alarm sound they've never heard before.

Some users have had them forever (Verizon, I think, has had them for a while) but for AT&T users it's been a less than perfect rollout.

 

[anon(4698833)]

I think that the first time they go off, many people are very confused--at least in my experience. This is a feature that just rolled out to a lot of AT&T users, and the only notice about it was a popup that said a "carrier update" had been pushed to your device. There was no mention of the alerts or any new feature, when they would be deployed, or how to disable them. People just see "an update" and click OK. Then, a few days later, the phone they've had for over a year starts blasting an alarm sound they've never heard before.

Some users have had them forever (Verizon, I think, has had them for a while) but for AT&T users it's been a less than perfect rollout.

Oh no doubt the confusion was there by the alert itself and why it was on their phone, I meant I don't think there was any confusion as to the meaning/need of the alerts themselves (as Jag redundantly pointed out).

 

[Judson50]

Very true, but yesterday we received an Emergency Alert for flooding conditions an hour after the alert ended...

Unfortunately where I am (Chicagoland) I received 8 of them in 2 hrs.

 

[mindfrost82]

I decided to use WX Alert USA, which offers weather and is great at alerts. The app can be a little tricky to figure out and its pretty ugly, but it has a lot of useful information once you figure it out. You can turn off the alert sound and options in the notification center options for the app.

When I first got my built-in emergency alert (for a flash flood), it was a while after wx alert usa already alerted me....plus the WX app gives you all of the details in the alert. One downside for their alerts is that you can only narrow it down to county, not city-level.

 

[Jaguarr40]

I don't think anyone is confused as the purpose of them. There is logic to bringing a less general spectrum targeting system to them though...as with anything, furthering the technology only makes it more useful and accurate.

I was agreeing with everyone that there is a need for this type of service for emergency purposes and thought I was agreeing with your logic as well? You have me confused.

PS I don't see anywhere in here where I am saying anyone is confused or am I just missing something Sean?

Oh no doubt the confusion was there by the alert itself and why it was on their phone, I meant I don't think there was any confusion as to the meaning/need of the alerts themselves (as Jag redundantly pointed out).

I don't understand about the part that I redundantly pointed out? what is meant on your part with that statement as again I am all for this type of service and don't know what the big discussion that anyone would be against it.

 

[anon(4698833)]

Then why the need for this "clarification" type of comment?

That is why they are called Emergency Alerts

...people know this, and i felt you were being redundant. I could have just said "No sh*t sherlock".