Cellphone companies will have to support Spanish messages under the new rules. [More]I'm just waiting for the "alert" system to include a five-times-a-day call to prayers reminder.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Calltural Terraforming
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Oh, David, you've only touched the molecular tip of that iceberg.
Making a long treatise short, the entire EAS/CAPS/IPAWS system is set up to handle alerts/messaging for every language on the planet. The National test that went out Tuesday (you may have heard it)was so verbose as to make for a short story - a full page of 10pt characters. Only good thing was it was all English. It is also the first "public" acknowledgement that FEMA is running the alert system now, with the FCC as a silent partner.
FEMA has also acknowledged that the entire system is, on a VERY good day, only 80% reliable. That should be enough, but can delve further into that boondoggle another time.
One thing I do want to nip in the bud - the EAS/CAPS/IPAWS system cannot "take over" a broadcasters facility. The worst it can do is take over the audio portion; and in in crunch can be easily bypassed. There is no boogeyman that can hijack an operator's hands (unless they went to a liberal college).
Ten years ago, I called 911 because a residential property I owned was burning down. I was greeted with a verbose recorded message explaining (among other things) when it was and was not proper to call 911. Following that, I was treated to the same verbose message in Spanish. Following that, I was treated to the same verbose message AGAIN in TTY tones. Before this multi-ethnic fire drill had entirely finished, I had driven to the fire station myself and told the firefighters personally where the fire was.
I am NEVER calling 911 in a life-or-death situation.
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