Posted on 11/03/2001 11:55:35 AM PST by butter pecan fan
Oops. Well, you get the idea... :-)
Now, how do I get past the suspicious thoughts that the poster of this thread has been here less than a month? :-)
There is a commerically avaliable software that drives Map Quest. A single server holds the data base. Any interested Freeper accesses the server from a FreeRepublic link, enters his personal info and sits back and waits.
A small number of volunter "moderators", working around the clock, acesss the data base after receiving a valid alert, select the geographic location affected, determine a radius of concern (1 mile, 5 miles, 25 miles, etc.) and then authorize a second machine to start delivering an automated phone alert to all Freepers who "subscribed" and are located within the affected area.
The system has two weaknesses. First, the security of the personal data entered. Second, the validity of the data entered (eg. waking up half of Los Angeles because a prankster entered false data). Both problems can however be minimized with proper protocals.
Cost about $2k plus server rental.
Now, how do I get past the suspicious thoughts that the poster of this thread has been here less than a month? :-)
Why the HECK (was sorely tempted to use stronger word) am I AUTOMATICALLY disliked/ distrusted solely on the basis that I've been "signed up" in this forum for less than a month?!
Why does it seem people aren't capable of judging me on the basis of my ideas, not on my "sign-up" date?
If it makes you feel more comfortable, I stood for hours with 700 other FReepers across from the Vice Presidential mansion a year ago and yelled at Al Gore, "Get out of Cheney's house!"
Gore must've felt the heat, because he DID get out of Cheney's house - long enough to go get an ice cream cone...
About my comment... Without knowing the history of the disruptor activity that goes on here, I suppose it's understandable that you would get your feathers all ruffled by what I said. But frankly, I'm about to sign off and don't want to take the time to give a detailed description of what's gone on at FR for the past 4 years.
There's no reason to take it personal. After all, this is the i-n-t-e-r-n-e-t. You and I could be anyone. I could be some neurotic wheezebag who is paranoid about 70,000 FReeper-snoops who are trying to trick her into revealing her phone number and thus her identity, and you could be some weird pervert and lonely sleazebag who is trolling for some female's phone numbers because you can't get them any other way. Neither is likely, but neither is impossible either.
A good idea and a worthy post should not be accompanied by an expectation of 'automatic trustworthy status' and worthiness of a FReeper group hug. In my opinion, of course.
And by the way, welcome to Free Republic. :-)
You're far too kind. Actually, your example is one of the more benign reasons someone might want to collect as many FReeper phone numbers (and the addresses which are attached to them) as possible.
The better part of valor, and all that...
I don't want to derail the topic from the subject here, which is "a modest proposal for a FReepers "instant alert network". Perhaps somebody might be so kind as to send me a private message explaining just exactly why so many people here seem so dang paranoid.
Why, thank you. :-)
Now, since you guys already have my phone number, can I expect that you'll call me and wake me up if the Houston Ship Channel gets hit with a "Texas-City-style" ka-boom? Logos, you take the late shift since RO has a new cute little baby at home, okay? I knew you wouldn't mind! LOL!
And just to show that I'm willing to reciprocate and watch the 6 of my two buddies, I'll call you guys and wake you up the next time the East Coast gets hit with another white-powder envelope. :)
I did not realize you were new here or I would have responded in the same way! Not to you, but to the person who brought it up! I want you to know that I have had my name listed as a member for quite some time, but I have only been posting here recently for the past month too. So, if credibility is gauged by length of time here and who knows who...I am no doubt where you are! I like this site very much and hope Nita just made a bad choice of words.
BTW! That's a lot of hours outside Cheney's house! Congrats to all the Freepers!!!! You guys and gals are DY-NO-MITE!!!
Well, the 'silent calls' with "----" on the caller ID, for one thing. You sometimes get the silent calls when you start sticking your nose into something that someone out there wishes you wouldn't. I used to think it was just coincidence until I talked to a few other FReepers who've experienced the same thing. I have an unlisted number that we guard stronger than Fort Knox, so go figure.
Oh.
Well, I guess that explains a bit of paranoia...
Look, this is the last thing I'm going to say about this because it's getting the thread off track.
No, I didn't make a bad choice of words. If anything, I was too vague. Perhaps I should have been more explicit and less concerned with 'niceties' and being politically correct. Here, let me try again:
Please explain to me how someone could possibly be offended by that.*** To all females out there who are about to FReepmail this "newbie-we-don't-know-from-Adam" their phone number (especially you older women who are new to the web): Please show caution when giving out personal information on the I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T.***
Anyone thinking of buying a scanner.... Check your local PD to find out what kind of radio system they have (local Radio Shack can give you the story). If they are on a 'trunk' system you want something other than a plain ole scanner. And 200 channels is barely enough.
Oh, I see. Being cautious about giving my phone number to a complete stranger is now labeled "paranoia."
I'll be backing out of the thread now. No need to start a flame war and ruin a good idea just because the poster is a bit touchy.
Look, I understand the paranoia a fair bit better as a result of one of the last posts, but frankly, I think you're just a weeee bit overworked. Especially in light of the fact that to this point, I've specifically requested that people DON'T send any contact information to me.
You know, if I wanted phone numbers of females, there are about a thousand hell of a lot easier ways to acquire them. Like, um, opening the telephone book, for example. There are probably a few dozen phone numbers of single women on each and every page.
Those would also have the slight advantage of not being about 1500 miles away...
When I was entertaining ideas of investing the time and work needed to set up a computer-based internet news scanning and automatic phone-calling system for myself and my family, I actually thought of creating a subscriber-based service, making it an ongoing for-profit concern.
But then as soon as the FReepAlert idea struck, the advantages were so clear that I haven't thought of the subscriber-service idea again from that time until you mentioned it.
I have criticized people for years for their indiscriminate posting of information which might tend to identify them. I have been horrified by friends who have made the net a place to find a mate (one friend even left her family for a net buddy she hardly knew, although it is 4 yrs now and she is still with him!). I cringe when I see people post information which I liken to giving trade secrets to a rival or enemy! Sometimes we forget where we are and how many people have access to what we write. And you are right....it is pretty scary to become a victim to our own ignorance.
As a nation we have recently learned how willing some are of taking advantage of our every weakness. There is a very good reason why the post keeps reoccuring to remind us NOT TO PUBLISH MILITARY INFORMATION! And it is not a stretch, particularly now, to realize that the enemy lurks among us and is willing to violate any weakness in a heartbeat. But that is why I assumed that the phone chain would be made up of people who have some standing, and the release of names would be limited. I cringed again at one suggestion that the phone list might be posted because I too keep an unlisted private number.
I do understand your concerns, but we are America and we thrive on the new blood that comes to our country. We all have to be careful in what we share and right now we are feeling very vulnerable, especially me in my line of work knowing that some of the best databases ever made of American citizens were gathered and distributed by people in the Middle East. Scary stuff, but one reason why your number might be out there. Taking that all into account, I can see that there are ways to impliment an alert system that will address all of these concerns, protecting us and helping us all at the same time. Actually, thanks for bringing up the dangers because they are valid and should be addressed.
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