Twitter Emergency Notifications Not Authorized Use in Future?

[RADIOMAN015]

See:  http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/twitter_is_not_an_emergency_broadcast_system.php

Apparently Twitter may be changing its' use policy based upon this potential lawsuit.

The article does give one alternatives to using this program, instead using microsoft's vine  http://www.vine.net/

Also I vaguely remember reading an article that one wing recently used this method for communications.   Anyone else using this or another means
RM

[Eclipse]

A free service, potentially open for all to view, would be the last thing I'd use for ES alerting.

Anything for alerting needs to be semi-private and have QOS SLA's.

My wing has an official account, and I've opened one for my group - nothing wrong with sending a link that to a web page with mission pics, etc., but not as the official alerting mechanism.

The last thing you want is a Fail Whale with a pilot hanging in the straps somewhere.

[bosshawk]

While a lot of our members seem up to their eyeballs in modern technology, lets not lose sight of the facts concerning how many of our members really participate in these newer ways of communicating.  A lot of us do not Twitter: I don't even know how one would go about it.  Another bunch of us do not have our computers turned on between 2100 each evening and 0800 the next morning.  Some of us check our email twice a day(me among them).  I do have a working telephone and regularly answer it.  In my many years of both military and CAP experience, I find the most comprehensive means of contacting people is via phone.  True, some people are not home or don't answer their phones.  You can leave a message.

I saw an interesting bit of facts recently , from the Chief of Staff of CAWG.  He stated that only 500 out of more than 3,000 members of CAWG subscribe to an email system called All@CAWG.  This system is intended to be a notification and information system for CAWG members.  Now, we find out that less than one sixth of the Wing subscribes..

Now, where do you go?

[Eclipse]

^ You're not missing anything not being on Twitter, believe me.

As to the rest, one must adapt and not complain that time has marched on.

There was a time when the information underclass in CAP was those without a CAP radio, now its those without always-on communication.

As understaffed as we are everywhere, its simply not reasonable to expect a phone call every time something happens when there is an inexpensive alternative that can notify everyone.

CAWG doesn't have 3000 members who need to be notified, or for that matter even care what's going on.  Like every other wing it has x-number of names on the roster, and significantly less who are operationally qualified.

In my wing there are plenty of people who gnash teeth about new technology and not "being informed" - they expect an in-face notification by messenger every time there's a change to the calendar.  Those are mostly, quite frankly, also members who are not involved in situations where they have a need to know things timely, and they get by.

Of the actors who actually are involved in ES, the vast majority carry a device which can receive the text pages, emails, and other notifications.

This simply is the way of the world in 2009, you can either accept it and adapt, or you will continually be on the outside.  The world isn't going to change or get less connected.

[a2capt]

Besides..  if you are using Twitter/like services for any type of notification of any even half serious manner .. you deserve what you get. 

The thing is down so often it's not even funny.

OTOH.. the whole USPTO organization needs to be looked at.

Filing patents for theories and mannerisms is just plain wrong. .. but b.. but.. here, look, it's written on a bar napkin, there's our prior art!! all kinds of stuff written up in hope of years later holding it up against some other company. 

What a joke.

[isuhawkeye]

A few observations. 

First, jut because a suit is filed does not guarantee that they will win.  We will see how this one turns out.

Second one of the unseen benefits of social media is the ability to survey hundreds or thousands of people.  a good PIO can get the pulse of an event, and address rumor mill issues before they get out of hand

Third I dont know of any agencies that are using twitter as a primary means of notification, but a number of entities are using it as a supplemental alert.  Linking twitter to existing web site RSS feeds allows you to reach a broader audience.  One agency that is doing this well is the LA county fire department. 

In short I dont know of any agency that is using social media as a primary means of communication, but it is a very powerful alternate.

[MikeD]

I'd say we have serious OPSEC issues with using something like Twitter as any kind of an alerting system.  Even as a "hey check your email" type of thing.

I've noticed up to half an hour of delay between the time tag included in a CAWG REDCAP and when it shows up in email (which is forwarded to my cell phone as a text message).  I think we really need to get some kind of system that will let an alerting officer send out a text message (SMS) to a group of subscribers.  CAWG's email list system doesn't even let you use an email address that starts with a number, most phones are <phone-number>@carrier-domain.com.

[Nick]

http://www.athoc.com/

Question is who's gonna pay for it.

[Airrace]

I think we should take full advantage of all the new technolgies but make sure that they are secure.