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Social Networks Communications

Facebook 'Safety Check' Lets Friends Know You're OK After a Major Disaster 130

Posted by timothy from the mom-please-stop-the-prank-alerts dept.
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?
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Facebook 'Safety Check' Lets Friends Know You're OK After a Major Disaster More

Facebook 'Safety Check' Lets Friends Know You're OK After a Major Disaster

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  • Would sooner have a Dislike button than this (Score:5, Insightful)

    by haruchai ( 17472 ) on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:11PM (#48173465)

    How fucking hard is that.

    • You would think that with that low of an id, you'd have learned about drunk posting by now. Not that I'm any better, but 17K, I hold you to a higher standard.

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by haruchai ( 17472 )

        You've got it backwards. With this low an ID, I get to post whatever I feel like. Otherwise, what's the point?

        • I don't get to post whenever I like ; I only get to post when I've got an internet connection.

          I wonder what proportion of Slashdot users today were conceived while we were posting? I bet it's not 0%, and I bet the number is increasing.

    • How fucking hard is that.

      Today Facebook's market cap is about 188 billions U.S. dollars. Somehow I think they're doing okay without your direction.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mysidia ( 191772 )

      They have a kind-of-Dislike option for things that show up in your news feed, and it is called: I don't want to see this [screencast.com]

      And comments have an X button.

      It understandably requires two clicks to dislike.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by haruchai ( 17472 )

        Not at all the same thing. YouTube and most of the news sites I frequent have a thumbs up / down.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by mysidia ( 191772 )

          Eh? Slashdot, Ycombinator, and most other major news sites have no thumbs down options.

          Youtube, Quora, and Reddit do, but I would say they are unusual exceptions to the rule.

          Most sites provide no "downvote " option, only Thumbs up / Like, or occasionally "Report to moderator"

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by haruchai ( 17472 )

            Slashdot has 10 options you can moderate a comment, if you have points.
            What sites do you consider "major news sites" - I suspect we may not agree on what those are.

            • Slashdot has 10 options you can moderate a comment, if you have points.

              If you're using mod points as a dislike button, you're doing it wrong.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by haruchai ( 17472 )

                And I certainly hope that no one is using them as a "like" button but I very frequently find comments modded up that are a headscratcher.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by koan ( 80826 )

      That would drive some of the sheep away when they discover how lame they are by the amount of "dislikes" they get.

    • Facebook comment: don't worry, I'm OK!

  • ISTM that panicky mothers would *love* this...

    • Re:How is it creepy? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 17, 2014 @08:30PM (#48173861)

      ISTM that panicky mothers would *love* this...

      Creepy? Who, us?

      Rest assured we will not release this data. After all, we don't release or sell any of your other data. Don't be alarmed that the largest human database in the world will start tracking all those infected, sick, or in trouble in some way using this "feature", building a hot-spot map for the CDC and the like (can you say targeted medical ads?).

      Don't worry though. Your Obamacare personalized health care plan rates won't go up much. And we won't sell this information to potential employers as a nefarious way to discriminate against those who might abuse medical benefits.

      We pinky promise.

      • Somehow I doubt Facebook is particularly interested in the personal data of the people signing up for this - they already HAVE that, by definition.

        No, it's another way to expand their shadow profiles and collect more data on those people who aren't on Facebook, but are friends with (or related to) people that are.

  • yeah, going with not creepy. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Sowelu ( 713889 ) on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:17PM (#48173517)

    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.

    • Re:yeah, going with not creepy. (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Obfuscant ( 592200 ) on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:25PM (#48173565)

      and the ability to mark Grandma as okay even if her internet is down is pretty appealing.

      The Internet will be one of the first things to go down in a disaster. The fact that Grandma hasn't told Facebook she's ok because she can't get to Facebook will only scare Grandma's relatives. Same for Grandpa, Pa, Ma, Jr., Missie, etc. This will drive an overload of existing resources as panicky people outside the area try even harder to reach in to find out loved ones status', because my goodness if they haven't said they're ok using this app, they are probably not.

      In other words, the existence of this "feature" will become like email -- assumed to be 100% reliable and fast, and if someone hasn't clicked the "I'm OK" button the assumption won't be "the internet is down and they can't, be patient", it will be "they're dead and cannot click a simple button. Panic!"

    • and the ability to mark Grandma as okay even if her internet is down

      Neither RFC 1149 - IP over Avian Carriers [ietf.org] nor RFC 2549 - IP over Avian Carriers with QoS [ietf.org] protocol are implemented by my local carrier pigeon, you ignorant clod!

      • Neither RFC 1149 - IP over Avian Carriers nor RFC 2549 - IP over Avian Carriers with QoS protocol are implemented by my local carrier pigeon, you ignorant clod!

        ISPs throttling traffic takes on a whole new dimension with these protocols. They can roast the pigeons after throttling them and feed people who are homeless because of the disaster! Throttling network traffic is a Good Thing! And imagine the visual imagery as they demonstrate what "bottleneck" means as they run the roast pigeon through the meat grinder to make pigeon sausage. Youse can only puts so many pigeons through the grinder at the same time ...

        • They can roast the pigeons after throttling them and feed people who are homeless because of the disaster!

          Yes, already planned for, that's called the Exponential Bakeoff algorithm.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Sooo.. posting, "I'm okay" or changing your status to "I'm safe" or whatever Facebook people do isn't good enough and straight to the point? Sounds like a solution to a problem that never existed.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Only old people use Facebook. Young people keep a clean profile on it but they don't really use it... because, you know, even their grandparents are on it.

    • One thing that is creepy (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      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???

    • 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.)

  • 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.

  • Oh Noes (Score:5, Funny)

    by pipingguy ( 566974 ) on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:23PM (#48173553)
    What if the disaster is that Facebook is down?

    • You can still say you're OK.

    • Re:Oh Noes (Score:4, Funny)

      by BarbaraHudson ( 3785311 ) <barbara.jane.hud ... minus physicist> on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:51PM (#48173715) Journal

      What if the disaster is that Facebook is down?

      You have a strange definition of disaster, friend :-)

      Disaster:

      • 1. a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life.
      • 2. denoting a genre of films that use natural or accidental catastrophe as the mainspring of plot and setting.
      • 3. an event or fact that has unfortunate consequences.

      The term you are looking for is "fortuitous"

      • 1. happening by accident or chance rather than design.
      • 2. happening by a lucky chance; fortunate.

  • if you're in the affected area, you'll receive a Facebook notification asking if you're safe.

    "No. I'm not."

    • Re:Buried under rubble (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:40PM (#48173655)

      my guess is, to limit liability, that you can only choose 'safe'; like you can only choose to 'like' something. having a 'not safe' option opens facebook up to liability if they do not notify authorities of someone that they know is not safe and has the usual privacy implications if they do tell 3rd parties about you. not to forget the flood of activity and rumors that will spread like wildfires in california if the site posts someone as being 'not safe' after a disaster.

  • 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 d

    • 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

      Okay, in my experience with the military every time there was a major disaster somewhere in the world I had to tell my command that I was safe and that I didn't have any immediate family in the affected area. They eventually mostly automated this with a website I could use.

      So, at least theoretically facebook could dispense with the graphics and ads and send minimal amounts of data, even stuff like 'respond to this text with your status to auto-update', using a few kilobytes rather than megabytes. Done wid

  • Would have loved this in 2005 in London (Score:3, Interesting)

    by mahju ( 160244 ) on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:34PM (#48173623)

    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.

    • Re:Would have loved this in 2005 in London (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Obfuscant ( 592200 ) on Friday October 17, 2014 @08:38PM (#48173893)

      That day with the mobile network switched off, it was hard to let people know I was ok, ... but something like this would have been far better.

      So you'd use the mobile network to contact Facebook to let everyone else know ... umm, wait. What mobile network? And you'd use the shut-off mobile network to check FB to see if your girlfriend had used the same shut-off mobile network to let FB know she was ok.

      Here's an idea. Prior to any disaster, plan. Pick someone in a different area that y'all who live in the same area can text with your info, and then y'all can use SMS to let everyone know you're ok. SMS is most likely to survive a disaster, much more than voice or data.

      • By definition, if the internet is down I am NOT okay.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by mahju ( 160244 )

        The part you missed, before ranting on, was all mobile was off, voice, and your SMS. Different type of event that day, mobiles off to stop any other attacks.
        The internet was up - you know you can use the internet without mobile networks right?

    • But this doesn't really add anything. You can use facebook for this purpose anyway by posting an "I'm ok, and so is " status message.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ihtoit ( 3393327 )

      I left Kings Cross station in 1987 six minutes before the stairwell I had just ascended went up in flames. I was glad of the phone box on the corner, my mother could barely hear me over the sirens though.

      • I left Kings Cross station in 1987 six minutes before the stairwell I had just ascended went up in flames. I was glad of the phone box on the corner, my mother could barely hear me over the sirens though.

        In 1987 you were probably back home in the basement before the Beeb had covered the event, so you could shout up the stairs to your mother that "I was there, look, I'm ok, can you bring down some meatloaf" when the news came over the telly.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ihtoit ( 3393327 )

          considering the BBC covered it live, and I've lived most of my life 120 miles away in Nottingham, that scenario is unlikely to ridiculous.

  • This is the only time I use Facebook (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mspohr ( 589790 ) on Friday October 17, 2014 @07:43PM (#48173677)

    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.

  • How much will it cost to make sure everyone sees it??

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      That's the beauty of this:

      Get a boatload of people looking at Facebook anytime there is a little disaster.

      Even better, once people start using it, get the federal government to subsidize Facebook, as it's now a "public service."

      Even better, now that it's a "public service" claim a portion of the company's costs as "donations".

      Even better, now that it's a "public service", remove federal income taxes from Facebook.

      The great beauty of this is that it replaces that onerous thing called text messaging, or, even

  • ... 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.

  • 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?

  • Why not just post a status update that sats "I'm fine. Munching on a Pop-Tart."

    • Because from Facebook's POV (huh) such status update is not related to major disaster. As I see it they are doing it to omit liability in case your status update in fact would be real in case of serious incident. Right now they are doing serious filtering of what gets into your feed since they are shit crazed about people leaving Facebook getting sick of all the irrelevant crap they see. This (proposed in the article) way they can select on the basis of fact of some disaster happening who can post such upda

  • infrequent user problem (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    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

  • I just use phone/email instead :)

  • Disaster thinking (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    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

  • 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.

  • 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".

  • 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.
  • Isn't that what status messages and timeline posts are for??

    Status message: "I'm in Liberia and I don't have a fever (yet)..."
    On Sarah's timeline: I just got a text from Sarah... Her hotel in Bermuda is OK, but power is out.

    What does Facebook's great addition do that this doesn't (other than give them an excuse to track where I am)?

    • Facebook filters your wall posts so not everything you post gets to everybody's feed. They are afraid people using Facebook get too many meaningless information from other people like look I just watched this Youtube video and you should too. So they use algorithms that select data you post to other people. I guess they select it by number of likes, views etc. So given that they DO censor what you post they are afraid that they could censor also such important information regarding your safety. But they are

  • When there is a disaster in my area, the default that my friends will be seeing (on the basis that I've not told a company that I'm OK) is "I'm not OK?

    .
    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.

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