[geeks] Now for something completely geek

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 @ 15:14 -0500, Lionel Peterson said:

> >I'm just wierd enough to think that is stupid.  If I want someone to
> >know where I am, even 911 personnel, I'll tell them.
> 
> And if you can't? Or you don't know where you are?

If I can't, or don't know where I am, why or how would I disable the
function?

In any case, the phone function should still be optional.

> >> Longitude/Latitude.  I spent at least 30 min. on the phone with a
> >> major nation-wide emergency response company[0] trying to explain to
> >> them where I was, since it was out in the sticks of PA.  I offered
> >
> >That's part of why I would like GPS disabled.
> 
> What? They wouldn't take her detailed information, so that's why you
> want the automatic location information disabled?

No, and why the ridiculous assumption?

I mean something similar happens when people call with GPS information:
"Sir, that does not match the incident location.  Why did you leave the
scene?  Why did you wait so long?  <insert favorite assumption here>."

That sort of thing.

For whatever reason, when they have the GPS information, they make a lot
of assumptions they don't bother with when called from a fixed line.

In any case, it doesn't really matter, I just want to turn it off
because it is a function on the phone and I want to control it, just
like the camera and every other feature.

> >I've used 911 several times in my life and never had any trouble, but
> >most of the time there is zero need for location information, and I
> >think I should have control over what information is given about myself.
> 
> I've never called 911, so since I've not needed it it's not needed by
> anyone? (OK, I extrapolated a *bit* far on that one ;^)

Huh?

> You seem to be assuming that when *most* people call 911 *most* of the
> time, they can provide adequate location information "manually" (I
> would have said orally, but... ;^), but remeber they system is
> designed for *all* situations, not *most*.

No, you are the one making assumptions, and I can't figure out why.

Why would someone like that disable their location information?

How would they do it if they are so incapacitated?

For that matter, how would they call if they were that bad off?


-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- ["Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny." --
Unknown]