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Facebook 'Safety Check' Lets Friends Know You're OK After a Major Disaster
rtoz (2530056) writes Facebook has launched a new Tool called "Safety Check." The Facebook Safety Check tool will notify your friends so that they know you're OK after a major disaster. In times of disaster or crisis, people turn to Facebook to check on loved ones and get updates. "During a major disaster, Safety Check will help you:
Let friends and family know you're safe; Check on others in the affected area; Mark your friends as safe ... When the tool is activated after a natural disaster and if you're in the affected area, you'll receive a Facebook notification asking if you're safe. [Facebook] will determine your location by looking at the city you have listed in your profile, your last location if you've opted in to the Nearby Friends product, and the city where you are using the internet. ... If you're safe, you can select "I'm Safe" and a notification and News Feed story will be generated with your update. Your friends can also mark you as safe." More creepy, or more reassuring?
How fucking hard is that.
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
ISTM that panicky mothers would *love* this...
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
Facebook will helpfully sell your contact info to survival supply and emergency shelter companies. Hey, they're just trying to help you out.
For the audience this is aimed at (which isn't most slashdotters), definitely reassuring. Facebook has a *huge* base of people who just use it to keep in touch with family's lives, and the ability to mark Grandma as okay even if her internet is down is pretty appealing.
Also good for antisocial people, you can avoid being bothered by a flood of people who are just checking up.
I say that because I was one of those who thought that after about a decade of existence, its usage would be on the wane. I guess I was wrong. They are really trying to remain relevant.
I salute them for that even though in my small world, Facebook is still of no consequence.
What if the disaster is that Facebook is down?
Really guys, I'm OK!
"No. I'm not."
everyone gets on their phone at a slightly windy thunderstorm clogging up the networks (voice, data or pots) so I understand that having a OK button to click is more desirable, but does it really solve the problem when everyone and their dog is A) still calling B) trying to update a half dozen media sites and C) now facebook is going to auto spam you complete with graphics and ad's
seems like if you really want to help in this situation it would be better to have phones that can mesh together and ping pong data around until it can find a outlet that is not damaged or clogged, instead of "every phone for itself" system.
I lived in London in 2005 when the terror attacks happened there, and my morning commute took me through kings cross. That day with the mobile network switched off, it was hard to let people know I was ok, know if my girlfriend was, and many other people I knew took. Sure there was landlines to call direct if you knew where people were, or email as a bit of a broadcast I'm ok, but something like this would have been far better.
After Zukerberg finishes the Oculus Rift and his ability to monetize people even more, he needs a fail safe in place to make sure comatose users aren't stuck and brain dead in his virtual worlds.
Have had family members in NZ earthquake and a few other misc disasters. Facebook was the best way to find out if they were ok.
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
you need a facebook account first.
JESUS will return. Even if he has been marked as dead, HE WILL COME BACK.
Eh that's what 911 is for.
Jesus will return next March when I need him to mow my lawn again.
Chances are, if you have access to failbook, you have access to a working phone.. just give them a call, otherwise it shows how little you really care about your "loved ones".
Getting served beta.slashdot.org when I asked for slashdot.org.
Hey editors... I don't want this fucking view! It sucked a year ago and it still sucks! Hello?? Anybody home???
How much will it cost to make sure everyone sees it??
The Safety Check is a nice idea. The feature will work if internet access is available during and after a major disaster. Fortunately, at least for me, internet outages are rare. Cell phone, 2G, 3G, 4G systems can be overloaded though. We might have better luck with a landline (dial-up/cable/ISDN) connection. Don't laugh: my flip phone didn't work after the earthquake in Virginia a few years ago. The deracho damaged some cell sites in my neighborhood but the landline still worked. Then the question becomes, how do we connect a laptop to the internet if the power is out and the 3G/4G cell phone service is disrupted? Hmm. Perhaps a dial-up modem would work... but we need a dial-up account first.
As I said above, interruptions to broadband internet can occur, but are somewhat rare. Well, there is a Verizon internet and phone outage in part of Northern Virginia. :( http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/26805692/verizon-outage-in-southwest-alexandria-could-last-several-days
... mesh networking.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
... Facebook will also track your progress in Softball games using GPS and your last location on the field, if you've opted in to the Facebook Knows Where You Are at All Times product, to generate a notification when it thinks you've crossed a base or home. If you're safe, you can select "I'm Safe" and a notification and News Feed story will be generated with your updated stats.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
From Mom
Corporations are masters at the parallel proposal pf doing US some good when actually, it does THEM hundreds of times better.
Facebook wants to be in our face and they really, truly, want our real names and location and they want to be tapped in on any revenue prospecting opportunity like a disaster.
Doesn't twitter already occupy this space?
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
Why not just post a status update that sats "I'm fine. Munching on a Pop-Tart."
A post a day keeps productivity at bay.
Good News Everyone!!! The burrito has left the building!
> For the audience this is aimed at (which isn't most slashdotters), definitely reassuring. Facebook has a *huge* base of people who just use it to keep in touch with family's lives, and the ability to mark Grandma as okay even if her internet is down is pretty appealing.
yes! except, are the kids ok? won't work. not allowed on FB. But its ok they're just kids, and you know the rules for kids: must be born no matter what, but there's no need to feed them or get them medical care! there you go.
also, except if you're one of those fucks whos been tarred as a "violent or sexual offender", because you know, those are below human consideration, not allowed on facebook. its the perfect tar and feathering, never mind if it was your own bush in your own back yard you were peeing on or you were clobbering a home invader or it was your boyfriend you sent a pic of your tits to or if it was consensual and nothing to do with "children" but some pitchforker found out or you were breaking up a fight or your curtains were open or your "offense" was 80 years ago.
fuck facebook and fuck the inquisition. no, I'm not in favor of pedophiles or pedophilia * people who chase non-sexual children * but anyone who thinks those assholes are actually what the crazypants sexual jihad tar party is really focused on is just flat out ignorant
kid I know is tarred for life for having sex with his consenting, 1-year younger girlfriend, they were both about 16-17 at the time. they arrested him at work, at subway, dragged him away cuffed in front of everyone then railroaded him in court. romeo and juliet laws, you say? too late for him. everyone looks at him like hes going to start eating babies any second now. you can just about see the pitchforks and torches. aht, whatever. he cant get a decent job, he cant go to school, isnt allowed on facefuck, an his face is plastered all over the state and national websites as if he was some kind of risk, whatevs, not like anyone gives a crap. 99.999% of the supposedly "smart" people who read this post probably have a lit torch in their hands right now becuz how much fun is it to drool and hate without engaging your brain anyways, and plus its free! all of you like that, youre worse than most of the people on those lists
youll run right out and vote for the first candidate that says theyre going to be even "tougher". you know who Im talking to, you evil suckpies. an you wont do shit to fix the problem even if you do understand it. yeah you, you self-rightous, uninformed, pitchfork-waving villager sack of pond scum
no, smarmyfucks, I DONT feel better
you want creepy, just look in the fucking mirror.
Facebook comment: don't worry, I'm OK!
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
I can just imagine what my timeline would look like...
"Going on a blind internet date - wish me luck!" ... six months later ...
"> is alive!"
In 2011, I couldn't reach my sister for over an hour after an earthquake. It would have been awesome if I could have just checked her page.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
I just use phone/email instead :)
I KUT J00 M4NG!!!
I'm trapped! Wait I can use my phone to tell everyone on FB that I'm "NOT OK". OH SHIT! Hit the wrong button! ... *phone drops on stone and breaks* ... well f***
(Staring Zuckerberg as the trapped idiot)
As a designer of systems for use in alerting during disasters (Tsunado) in New Zealand, we have had to think long and hard about what telecommunications platforms to use when disaster strikes. Unfortunately IP and cellular networks are incredibly fragile. Broadcast networks, even if they are compromised, are the easiest to restore quickly. However they are suitable only for outgoing messaging.
The peer to peer systems such as what Facebook are promoting here, are already implemented in local systems here in NZ (such as Cloud-M) and they have the advantage of being "local". However, in a major disaster you have to plan for the likelihood of interruptions to both international and national data traffic.
Whatever, all these systems are designed for certain levels of use, and when a disaster strikes, and everyone attempts to go "online", then these systems die, by being swamped. Even the reliable old "copper wire" telephone exchanges were designed only for about 15% usage at any one time.
The so called "man up" systems to help communicate with family and friends will always be reliant on the health of the underlying communications platforms. Fibre, copper and other physical mediums will be knocked out for significant times during earthquakes and ineffective during power outages. Wireless will get overloaded immediately, and if power is lost, we find their backup regimes tend to be short.
Until these obstacles are overcome, the best approach is to have established plans with your family to respond in predictable ways during an event. Plan to congregate at an established location, or have an alternative if that area is inaccessible. Have established responsibilities and of course access to survival packs. And have a battery powered radio! Sometimes old is best.
Disasters don't always strike independently.
You survived The Big One. Great! You reported yourself safe. Even better! Too bad the ensuing tsunami got you, and nobody thought to go looking for you.
Or an aftershock.
Or a fire from a broken gas line.
Or a shortage of water and/or food.
You're not fine until you can get on with your life.
How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
The options are only "I'm safe" and "I'm not in the area". Other people can't now distinguish between the situations that you are not safe or that you have just not got around to click a button.
...they call this "checking inventory".
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
Some people won't be OK. Some people won't be OK, but better than dead. Don't they need to allow for a middle ground, like I'm presently Ozzie Osborne?
I actually like the idea - having been on an overnight flight landing on 9/11, I remember quite a few online contacts wanting to check I was OK. Of course, with Facebook a simple status update would have done the trick, no need for any special tool - and if I'd been offline, a friend could probably have posted that on my page on my behalf. (The gap between "can phone a friend" and "can get online" is pretty slim these days, too: much more so now than it was then.)
It's all about being safe.
Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.
That seems like the best part. If you have no internet connection, all you need to do is contact one person (who might need to contact another person) who can mark you safe. That would cut down a lot of phone traffic on a system that will be congested or downgraded.
What does Facebook's great addition do that this doesn't (other than give them an excuse to track where I am)?
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
.
Facebook should make this "feature" opt-in, not "you're using this feature whether you want to or not".
Fuck everything else, fuck the dislike button, I want the ability to DELETE identifiable information from facebook.
Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
Or "aaaaaargh".
It might only work if you dictate it.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."