Facebook Tests 'Safe' User Tag For Disasters

aesoteric writes "Facebook has embarked on a nationwide test of a new disaster message board for users across Japan. The feature allows users to mark themselves as being 'safe' in the event of a disaster. Doing so introduces a 'safe' insignia next to their name on their profile. The Facebook announcement appeared to be geoblocked."

Comments

Lame

[Anonymous Coward]

Like in the middle of a disaster people are going to start posting to facebook. Oh wait..

Re:Lame

[psnyder]

Following the Fukushima quake, all phone networks were down to allow for emergency traffic only (I live in Tokyo). Internet was the only way to get a message out for a while. I sent a quick email to family who hadn't woken up in the states yet, because I was sure it would be on the news networks when they woke up.

However, the following few days, people I barely knew or hadn't spoken to in ages, started coming out the woodwork, asking if I was okay. This feature is not a bad idea. It sure beats my mother plastering messages all over my wall, trying to tell people I'm okay.

New Orleans

[vlm]

Lets try to file a bug report using New Orleans as an example in haiku format in honor of this being rolled out first in Japan...

Hurricane passes overhead
District Nine clicks Safe
Levees collapse; all drown; Whoops;

haiku formatted bug reports are superior to free text, although I'm guessing I shouldn't quit my day job and become a professional poet...

Expiry time?

[FunPika]

Okay so what if someone marks themselves as safe...then a few minutes later another earthquake hits and a roof falls on their head or something similar. Will the tag expire after a certain amount of time?