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Ballistic Missile alert in Hawaii

26 points by javiercr 9y ago

v4n4d1s 9y ago
Maybe an error: https://twitter.com/NutzFordBucks/status/952243050675281922 https://twitter.com/NutzFordBucks/status/952243050675281922
- TillE 9y ago
  My first thought was that the alert system might have been compromised, but if it's just somebody pressing the wrong button that's less interesting.
vsviridov 9y ago
https://twitter.com/Hawaii_EMA/status/952243912415985664 https://twitter.com/Hawaii_EMA/status/952243912415985664
- tonyg 9y ago
  The linked tweet is the Hawaii EMA clarifying that there is "NO missile threat to Hawaii".
beebmam 9y ago
What an awful and terrible mistake.
owenversteeg 9y ago
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency just tweeted that there is no missile threat to Hawaii. Apparently it was just a drill. Anyone know if there was a second alert sent out notifying people that this was just a drill?
- Shank 9y ago
  Apparently the state is working on it. https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/952247826557390854 https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/952247826557390854
yllus 9y ago
Every software developer who's sent test notifications out to real users by mistake in the past (that is: all of us) is cringing in sympathy for the state of Hawaii's IT department right now.
- dvfjsdhgfv 9y ago
  Sending this message was a serious mistake. But not being able to send the correcting message immediately is a real failure. It clearly shows the systems is not only properly controlled, but also not working correctly.
  - matt_wulfeck 9y ago
    But at the same time, better we learn about these problems now than later.
- makecheck 9y ago
  Even if it were a test message, does it really need big scary wording? Especially the “NOT a drill” part!?
popotamonga 9y ago
I wonder how many people shot themselves after reading that...
- stormcrowsx 9y ago
  No one. If they wanted to die they'd just wait for the missile.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
Scoundreller 9y ago
Actual wording received on a mobile phone: > BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL Correction message: >There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.
testplzignore 9y ago
I wonder if we can glean any information from the timing of this. Blind speculation follows... Was this a new system that has recently been set up, maybe even this week? If so, does that mean the US military is taking North Korea seriously and it's not just sabre-rattling? Do we have intel that North Korea is actually going to launch something towards us? Or is the US planning a first strike of their own in the very near future and are preparing for the inevitable counterattack?

26 points by javiercr 9y ago

Maybe an error: https://twitter.com/NutzFordBucks/status/952243050675281922 https://twitter.com/NutzFordBucks/status/952243050675281922

TillE 9y ago
My first thought was that the alert system might have been compromised, but if it's just somebody pressing the wrong button that's less interesting.

vsviridov 9y ago

https://twitter.com/Hawaii_EMA/status/952243912415985664 https://twitter.com/Hawaii_EMA/status/952243912415985664

tonyg 9y ago
The linked tweet is the Hawaii EMA clarifying that there is "NO missile threat to Hawaii".

beebmam 9y ago

What an awful and terrible mistake.

owenversteeg 9y ago

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency just tweeted that there is no missile threat to Hawaii. Apparently it was just a drill. Anyone know if there was a second alert sent out notifying people that this was just a drill?

Shank 9y ago
Apparently the state is working on it. https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/952247826557390854 https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/952247826557390854

yllus 9y ago

Every software developer who's sent test notifications out to real users by mistake in the past (that is: all of us) is cringing in sympathy for the state of Hawaii's IT department right now.

dvfjsdhgfv 9y ago
Sending this message was a serious mistake. But not being able to send the correcting message immediately is a real failure. It clearly shows the systems is not only properly controlled, but also not working correctly.
- matt_wulfeck 9y ago
  But at the same time, better we learn about these problems now than later.
makecheck 9y ago
Even if it were a test message, does it really need big scary wording? Especially the “NOT a drill” part!?

popotamonga 9y ago

I wonder how many people shot themselves after reading that...

stormcrowsx 9y ago
No one. If they wanted to die they'd just wait for the missile.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

Scoundreller 9y ago

Actual wording received on a mobile phone: > BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL Correction message: >There is no missile threat or danger to the State of Hawaii. Repeat. False Alarm.

testplzignore 9y ago

I wonder if we can glean any information from the timing of this. Blind speculation follows... Was this a new system that has recently been set up, maybe even this week? If so, does that mean the US military is taking North Korea seriously and it's not just sabre-rattling? Do we have intel that North Korea is actually going to launch something towards us? Or is the US planning a first strike of their own in the very near future and are preparing for the inevitable counterattack?