Is the NIXLE system now being abused by McHenry County law enforcement agencies?
Since Sheriff Nygren misused the system just before elections to announce a kitchen training program for inmates at the County jail, other jurisdictions are now piling on.
NIXLE is for community alerts and warnings. If there is a jail break, we want to know about it fast. If a train jumps the tracks in Woodstock and a tanker car is leaking ammonia, we want to know about it.
We don't need NIXLE to begin replacing headlines in the Northwest Herald. This will turn off those who have registered and will cause potential "customers" not to register.
If three people got arrested for cemetery vandalism or thefts, I'll read about it tomorrow. If 130 car windows were broken in McHenry, just put it in the news.
Please! Emergencies and urgent warnings only on NIXLE.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
Why don't you actually educate yourself on what Nixle is and allows before you decide to cry about how it is being abused.
The following is copied from their site. If you actually took the time to investigate something before you spewed your improper and WRONG information you might get a particle of respect. Thanks for again proving your level of intellect.
Nixle provides communities throughout the country with news and information that is both proximate and personally relevant.
To learn more, visit www.nixle.com.
Your opinion or their terms of service? Which matters most?
from the FAQ at www.nixle.com
What messages would I receive through Nixle?
Only authenticated agencies and community organizations can securely publish information. There are four types of messages; Alerts (many would refer to this as an emergency type alert), Advisories (less urgent need-to-know information), Community Information (day-to-day neighborhood to community-level information), Traffic (very localized traffic information).
Based on my reading skills, I would say that either advisory or community info would fit the bill for McHenry alerting folks to the arrest of the vandals or the fact that vandals were rampaging the area, but then my life doesn't revolve around finding fault with just about everything that government does. There are enough mountains to complain about, the molehills are nothing to sweat. Your mileage, obviously, varies.
Xplain, I know how NIXLE would like to be perceived. And that is not how Woodstock bought it. Not sure about the other towns. It is best used as an emergency alert system, not a replacement for the newspaper.
Just my opinion, like everything else on this blog.
There you go... "is not how Woodstock bought it" Maybe they did, maybe they didn't. What about the Sheriff's Office? What about the city of McHenry? According to you they are wrong, wrong, wrong. Yet time and time again you've been told that the uses you object to by THEM are permissible uses for which the system is designed. In that context it doesn't make any difference what Woodstock did or didn't buy it for. Your attitude on this and many other things is very similar to the anti-gun crowd. "I don't like it, so you can't do it/have it and THAT'S THAT!" If you don't like it, then unsubscribe (assuming you even get the McHenry NIXLE). Same goes to your sources. As for the anti-gun crowd... if they don't like them fine. Don't own one, don't allow one on their property but don't tell me what I can have or not have on my premises.
When I subscribed to NIXLE on the McHenry County Sheriff's Dept. website (because I wanted to see more silly announcements like the kitchen training program), I expected to receive only NIXLE announcements issued by MCSD.
Later I learned that NIXLE sends out notices to anyone within ten miles of the issuing agency. Trying now to figure out to unsubscribe from the ones I don't want. It might not be possible.
Oops! So sorry, we're all wrong. It seems that you really DO want to hear about things other than emergency alerts. Further, you aren't interested in receiving alerts from Woodstock PD otherwise you'd have signed up there, correct?
Checking back at the FAQ at Nixle.com I could not find "to amuse a sad man who must find fault with everything." I doubt that your use of the program is a violation of their terms of service but...
You lived in Colorado. Ever hear the expression, “Changing horses in midstream?” You’re trying to change horses Gus. First you’re only for EMERGENCY alerts then change and say in as many words, that if it’s the MCSO you DO want them. (So you can blog about them)
Both previous posts by Xplainyourselfnow and Toa both noted that there is an agreement when you sign up for Nixle. Commonsense 101 tells me that if you agree to the Nixle protocol, you will get the whole range of announcements. This morning at 9:44AM you posted about the windows being broken in McHenry but when the police announce an arrest you cry foul.
You only want to get CERTAIN things, so you can criticize CERTAIN people or CERTAIN agencies. Once again Gus, it appears that your quest to negatively blog the MCSO has been made blatantly apparent by your own words.
This morning at 9:44AM you posted about the windows being broken in McHenry but when the police announce an arrest you cry foul.
You agreed Gus, don’t change horses now, you’re gonna get wet.
BTW I know the secret to changing WHAT agencies alert you, but I’ll let YOU figure it out.
If you do not like their product then unsubscribe! Do not continue to whine and lay on the ground kicking and screaming about how NIXLE does exactly what is says it will do. YOU did not research what would happen when YOU blindly signed up for NIXLE alerts. YOU are not happy about seeing things from other agencies YOU only want to see releases from MCSD so you can complain about their services and employees.
Bet you never read teh service agreements when you download your computer programs either. Maybe you can take on Microsoft next. Bill Gates is anxiously waiting your call!
NIXLE is, in principle, a good idea. It's a fast way for a community to be warned about a danger or threat. Sure, NIXLE would like to replace the Daily Snooze, but local government officials are supposed to be smarter than that.
But now you are getting me more interested in WHO selected NIXLE for the County and what their considerations were as they approached adopting that system.
By the way, Bill Gates' office would probably be a whole lot more polite than you are. And they wouldn't hide behind a made-up name.
Now you know what NIXLE wants to do? Are you now employed by their marketing department? Congrats! But you did not have the sense to read the agreement? Right?
As for who selected NIXLE. Probably a person who wanted to save money for the County or municipalities by selecting a free service that provides a quick form of communication/notifications with residents through electronic media. Will you now complain about the cost to the taxpayer or agree it is better than ignoring electronic media notification systems. You would be complaining the Sheriff's Dept. was not moving forward with the times if they had nothing.
I will keep my NIXLE notifications. I can at least get them from a source that would be involved and I can make my own decision on the level of truth. Not rely on third + party information and spew rhetoric without doing fact checking.
Any word on the firetruck use of lights law? Did you find the law yet? Still waiting for weeks.
Jeez, Louise, get a clue why don't you? Go to their site - just like anyone who subscribes to the service and tell them you don't want to be bothered unless it's an alert, or unless it's an alert or advisory, or unless it's an alert, advisory, or community info, etc. They have a drop box that allows for that. It's really simple: RTFM! For every goof who complains like you do, I suspect that there are folks who like to see everything they put out. BTW, I looked and McHenry PD (and others) did appropriately flag their posts as advisories or community info. You and Mahon are making much ado about nothing but then that's no big surprise.
Just in from NIXLE: !!
Whew! Nigren made it up to Minoqua in time to get his hoses in! Whew! We were really worried if they waz gonna freeze!
DBTR, while you were wondering about the hoses, I was wondering if he obeyed the speed limit all the way to Minocqua.
I wonder if the Beetle would go fast enough to keep up with him. Ain't gonna do it, 'cause I don't have a badge to show the trooper. Of course, I wouldn't badge a trooper or cop, anyway.
I hate it when cops badge their buddies and get out of a ticket!!! They ought to get two tickets, if they do that.
Post a Comment