EVERYONE
Let’s drop the hijack about the clarity of the OP. Take it to the pit if you must.
Dude, you blew a chance to say “Its the Chicago Reader way”…
So this whole thing is a cell-phone only deal, then? I guess us neoluddites with land lines aren’t worth notifying. 
(Not that I make it easy, admittedly. No cell phone, no broadcast TV, no radio. I suppose they could send me an email; I’d read it eventually…)
“42” says it all. The question asks something.
I thought you were suppose to spin the dial and stick a pencil stub in one of the fingerholes to keep it from spinning back.
Or, at least, that’s what the old cold war spy movies indicated.
In a Charles Stross book, the US is a total surveillance state, and the government in on to this trick–the cell phone batteries themselves have tiny cell phone transmitters and microphones built into them. Pull the battery from your phone and the battery listens to you.
This is the first time I’ve heard of a presidential alert test (I’m Australian). Doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me.
That said, announcing the precise time and date ahead of time does make me think that would be the perfect time for someone to plan a real, multi-pronged attack on your nation. No one would take the warnings seriously.
I have Amber Alerts shut off, because if I’m out and about there are freeway signs that show the relevant info 24/ 7. Now if we could get sheriffs who make Amber Alert stops to not magdump the suspect, I’ll be happier.
You mean like the system that Hawaii uses, that sent people into a blind panic on Jan 13?
Man, a lot of this thread sounds suspiciously like “Man yells at cloud” levels of silliness.
This is just a system that integrates with emergency alerting infrastructure that has been in most modern cellphones for a long time. If you live in an area that gets tornadoes you’ve probably had these alerts before, and probably dismiss them within seconds and forget about it within 20.
iOS at least lets you turn off two types of “Government Alerts”, AMBER Alerts and Emergency Alerts. I have Amber alerts turned off not out of lack of concern for missing children but out of a belief based on lots of articles I’ve read that Amber alerts largely do nothing positive and thus are a waste. I’m glad I have the Emergency Alerts on, I once got a tornado warning on my phone 10 minutes before the sirens went off. The tornado luckily didn’t come close to my house so it wasn’t a big deal, but it was extra information I have no regrets that I had.
There’s no option to turn off the Presidential Alerts, but whatever. My phone notifies me of a lot of shit I don’t care about. People need to grow up and stop being so silly.
I did read this iOS documentation about the alerts from a few years ago:
Yeah, people are acting like Trump is going to have a FEMA Alert app on his phone that he can click on every night after Fox and Friends gets him all worked up.
No. I don’t think it’s what people are making it out to be, and if I wanted to yell at Dotard Very Stable Genius, I have Twitter for that.
I will say, if the Moron In Chief did decide to use this thing like twitter (and somehow figured out a way to do so), I’d find it absolutely hilarious.
Due to the scale, this is the sort of thing that could be incredibly useful if used properly or incredibly annoying if not used properly. But at this point I see no reason to think it won’t be used properly.
I would imagine even if you have your phone off, the message will still be delivered next time you turn it on.
Since I like exploring/breaking stuff, this might be a way to disable it on rooted Android phones if you were so inclined. A lot of steps but it’s basically just editing a settings file: [ROOT][MOD][HOW TO] Disable Presidential Alert Text Messages | XDA Forums
I could not go to my phone app while the alert was going off until after I pressed on “Dismiss” at the bottom of the message. Then I was immediately able to place a call.
If I got it, I see no evidence of it on my phone.
Me either. They obviously are not concerned about MY safety in an emergency. I feel left out. One of y’all post if a zombie apocalypse occurs so I’ll know in a timely manner. Please.
I got it. Very anticlimatic after all the fuss. I just tapped OK, and it went away.
I was listening to a podcast when the alert interrupted. There was an electronic beeping in my earphones. The text said “Presidential Alert. THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Alert System. No action is necessary.” Now it has disappeared from my phone.
I got it. I’m not sure why it had to say “Presidential Alert” at the top. Wouldn’t “Federal Emergency Alert” be more accurate (and less ridiculous sounding)? I don’t want a “Presidential Alert” on my phone, no matter if it’s Trump, Obama or Abraham Lincoln’s ghost sending it. It just seems…ridiculous.