Anyone Tried Google BUZZ yet. What if SHTF could it help?

[golocx4]

As long as the power is up and cell towers are operating it could be great in SHTF situations.
If you had a group set up with your family members you could know where they were and have instant
contact as well as leave messages for them.

With Google Buzz on a phone, you don't need Gmail. You can see the tweets of people whether you're
following them or not. In the "Nearby" mode, you're automatically "following" whoever happens to be or
has been near wherever it is you are.

If you were at a large event and you were following other members of a group such as a forum or other
pro gun groups, you would be able to see that there are 40 other members of this forum nearby.

In a SHTF situation, as long as the cell phones are working, imaging the possibilities.
Hopefully you and all your family members have a plan and meet points.
So instead of sparypainting instructions on the side of your house. You send one message out to all
stating you are ok and that the new meet point is ________.

I have to admit, I never really got the Facebook and twitter thing. My kids use it all the time and I
just can't figure out why you would want to make your life an open book. I mean just because you are
paranoid it doesn't mean you are not being watched. LOL

Could it be abused? OH Yeah!
Could it be helpful in a SHTF senerio? Some, not all.
Electromagnetic Pulse - forget it. We are all back to the 1800's. Those with horses win.
Power Grid Failure - as long as phones and cell towers are up.

Has anyone tried this yet, what are the possibilities for like minded people using this to identify
other like minded people. ie other forum members nearby, NRA members nearby, other CCW's nearby etc.

 

[DarrellM5]

I'm planning on giving it a shot on my Droid. I've heard you need to be careful with the security settings so your contacts won't be available to everyone.

 

[golocx4]

I'm planning on giving it a shot on my Droid. I've heard you need to be careful with the security settings so your contacts won't be available to everyone.

Good point. But I am impressed. Using maps I found the Firehouse near me and simply posted a message that they are having a Gun Raffle on March 6th. Already got a response from someone else interested.

 

[brickler]

Google buzz is a lot like Facebook in the sense you can post a message or an article or a picture and people can comment on it. What I like about it is that it is nicely integrated into your existing Gmail. What I don't like is that it will send you updates to your inbox when someone has posted on buzz. Since Buzz shows up like an inbox itself, this seems redundant in my opinion. Mobile availability is primarily limited to Android phones and the iPhone. Phone availability is fairly limited on most other phones, but this will change over time I am sure if it takes off....

As for as using it for a SHTF scenario, depends on the scenario. If it is something that wipes out power and infrastructure, I don't see how you would be able to get to it to post a message unless everything happens to fall just into place for backup generators on Cell towers, Internet Data Centers, etc. In a slow decline situation, economic, etc. It should be viable as long as you have resources to pay the bills, or get to a public library, assuming the city can maintain their Internet access....

 

[gdcleanfun]

I'm planning on giving it a shot on my Droid. I've heard you need to be careful with the security settings so your contacts won't be available to everyone.

How secure is it? I've understand that Skype is semi secure, and land lines and semi-secure digital? cell phones. But is anything really secure? And if/when something happens it would be a good bet that electricity would disappear, at least temporarily. Back to smoke signals? My gmail was one of those caught up in China's global hack job. I don't feel that it or Google or anything online is at all secure.

 

[2beararms]

I would not expect cell phones to work in a SHTF situation. As am amateur radio operator we spend a lot of time training for the downfall of communicaiton and overload of the cell system is usually the first to go. Cell phone systems were down many places in the country this week just because of overload from people checking with each other over the snow. Systems like Buzz still take up space.

Have family around the country, get everyone to get a General Class ham license, really not tough, two 35 question tests, no code. Then lay in some HF gear and portable antennas. I can set up here in Florida and be talking direectly to family in Pennsylvania in about 20 miuntes with totally portable units, antennas and battery/generator/solar power.

When all else fails ....

 

[gdcleanfun]

I would not expect cell phones to work in a SHTF situation. As am amateur radio operator we spend a lot of time training for the downfall of communicaiton and overload of the cell system is usually the first to go. Cell phone systems were down many places in the country this week just because of overload from people checking with each other over the snow. Systems like Buzz still take up space.

Have family around the country, get everyone to get a General Class ham license, really not tough, two 35 question tests, no code. Then lay in some HF gear and portable antennas. I can set up here in Florida and be talking direectly to family in Pennsylvania in about 20 miuntes with totally portable units, antennas and battery/generator/solar power.

When all else fails ....

The cell phones did not work after the Northridge E-Quake either. One of my neighbors had one of the first ones, the old, huge brick-sized thing. We could not get out on it. I heard scuttlebutt that the cell towers were hijacked by law enforcement for official use only. Who knows...:fie:

 

[golocx4]

OK then what about this?

If every pro-Second Amendment gun owner had a structured g-mail account.
The secret would be a uniformly structured email prefix.

What if we all started building a GMail Address - that with a structured prefix allows you to find other like minded people near you.
The first part must be uniform and the second part can be unique.
Example:
[email protected]

You can use your name or Forum Name or what ever you want.
Example - [email protected] or [email protected]

The important thing is that everyone begins with pro2a.
Lets say that you are at a your kids hockey game for instance, and there are 20 people nearby that are using BUZZ. 5 of those people show pro2a._________. You can instantly connect with them, join and follow, and you have just made 5 new pro-Second Amendment friends.

"Hey, lets meet at the Hot Dog Stand during the 2nd period break and introduce ourselves."

Now I know that in some parts of the country Hockey is alien, but you get the idea.

I'm only thinking out loud here. Sure there are pros and cons of the idea but think about it for a second.
Discuss the pros and cons and we may even reach a consensus. Of course the consensus may be to do nothing and leave things the way they are.

NOTE: the pro2a. thing is just and example for discussion purposes. It could be anything as long as it is uniform. Then we all go to other forums and spread the word, or is this to underground?
May or may not help in SHTF, but what about elections and rallies etc. There are possibilities here.
Again just thinking.

"just because your paranoid, it doesn't mean you are not being watched"

 

[Anthony_I_Am]

If every pro-Second Amendment gun owner had a structured g-mail account.
The secret would be a uniformly structured email prefix.

What if we all started building a GMail Address - that with a structured prefix allows you to find other like minded people near you.
The first part must be uniform and the second part can be unique.
Example:
[email protected]

You can use your name or Forum Name or what ever you want.
Example - [email protected] or [email protected]

The important thing is that everyone begins with pro2a.
Lets say that you are at a your kids hockey game for instance, and there are 20 people nearby that are using BUZZ. 5 of those people show pro2a._________. You can instantly connect with them, join and follow, and you have just made 5 new pro-Second Amendment friends.

"Hey, lets meet at the Hot Dog Stand during the 2nd period break and introduce ourselves."

Now I know that in some parts of the country Hockey is alien, but you get the idea.

I'm only thinking out loud here. Sure there are pros and cons of the idea but think about it for a second.
Discuss the pros and cons and we may even reach a consensus. Of course the consensus may be to do nothing and leave things the way they are.

NOTE: the pro2a. thing is just and example for discussion purposes. It could be anything as long as it is uniform. Then we all go to other forums and spread the word, or is this to underground?
May or may not help in SHTF, but what about elections and rallies etc. There are possibilities here.
Again just thinking.

"just because your paranoid, it doesn't mean you are not being watched"

Dunno. Sounds like a good way to get set up to me. How long before EVERYONE knows what "pro2a" means. Then the thugs come out of the woodwork to jack you or target your house cause they know you have guns.

 

[golocx4]

You may have a point. Although I personally think you give the" Thugs" more credit than they deserve.
They are predatory opportunists. They will only prey upon what they feel is an easy target. The weakest of the flock.
They would prey upon people they see using a Smart Phone for the phone more so than why they are using it.
ON the other side, Govt Thugs may me a whole other issue. But if it comes to that then S has HTF already.
Besides, your personal info should not be made public.
Again, just thinking out loud. The anti-gun faction is very well organized and marketed.
We are diversified into so many groups and sub groups it is frustrating as they seem to be always making us play defense.

 

[Anthony_I_Am]

Wouldn't the post office still work in a SHTF scenario?

 

[golocx4]

Wouldn't the post office still work in a SHTF scenario?

Sounds like a plot for a movie. No wait, that was done. Forgot the title but the guy was simply wearing a USPS jacket. The surviving towns people were portrayed as totally helpless until the Hero / Government arrived wearing a jacket. It was now up to him to protect them from the other survivors with guns. Typical Clinton era Hollywood disaster movie. Gun owners bad - Government Good!


Did they work after Katrina? The houses were gone, the people in the houses were scattered in 4 states.
I'll bet they still have the mail somewhere......

 

[gdcleanfun]

What if we all started building a GMail Address

Then we could all be hacked like I was by China.:fie:
There's gotta be a better way than email, than cell phones.

 

[DarrellM5]

Google has apologized for the the security SNAFU and they're working on a bunch of changes. It could come in handy for trying to rendezvous with people in an emergency situation. You could check Buzz to see who had or hadn't checked in at the assembly point.

Here's the apology story:

BBC News - Google admits Buzz social network testing flaws

 

[Anthony_I_Am]

Sounds like a plot for a movie. No wait, that was done. Forgot the title but the guy was simply wearing a USPS jacket. The surviving towns people were portrayed as totally helpless until the Hero / Government arrived wearing a jacket. It was now up to him to protect them from the other survivors with guns. Typical Clinton era Hollywood disaster movie. Gun owners bad - Government Good!


Did they work after Katrina? The houses were gone, the people in the houses were scattered in 4 states.
I'll bet they still have the mail somewhere......

What I was getting at is most people don't realize that we still have general delivery. For instance assuming the post office was not destroyed, I could address a letter to Joe Doe, General Delivery, anytown, NC 12345 and they would just have to walk into the post office and pick it up. That would work if you were "on the move" and didn't have a street address, maybe not the best option if you were "wanted" as you might be walking into a trap.

My dad travels a lot all over the U.S. and I can use GD to send him mail if he tells me what city he will be in in a day or so. i just address it to him general delivery and he goes to the post office and shows an ID and picks it up.

Maybe not "instant communication" like a cell phone, but if nothing else works, a message that takes a couple days to get there is better than no message at all.

 

[roho-amarillo]

to connect with some likeminded people i'd take the chance most of us are probably allresdy on a list just for being on sites like this

 

[Tucker's Mom]

I turned mine off...husband and son are both in face book. I wish I have time to really sit down and chat, but I don't. I'd rather play with my dog in my off-times...

leasantry:

 

[roho-amarillo]

As long as the power is up and cell towers are operating it could be great in SHTF situations.
If you had a group set up with your family members you could know where they were and have instant
contact as well as leave messages for them.

With Google Buzz on a phone, you don't need Gmail. You can see the tweets of people whether you're
following them or not. In the "Nearby" mode, you're automatically "following" whoever happens to be or
has been near wherever it is you are.

If you were at a large event and you were following other members of a group such as a forum or other
pro gun groups, you would be able to see that there are 40 other members of this forum nearby.

In a SHTF situation, as long as the cell phones are working, imaging the possibilities.
Hopefully you and all your family members have a plan and meet points.
So instead of sparypainting instructions on the side of your house. You send one message out to all
stating you are ok and that the new meet point is ________.

I have to admit, I never really got the Facebook and twitter thing. My kids use it all the time and I
just can't figure out why you would want to make your life an open book. I mean just because you are
paranoid it doesn't mean you are not being watched. LOL

Could it be abused? OH Yeah!
Could it be helpful in a SHTF senerio? Some, not all.
Electromagnetic Pulse - forget it. We are all back to the 1800's. Those with horses win.
Power Grid Failure - as long as phones and cell towers are up.

Has anyone tried this yet, what are the possibilities for like minded people using this to identify
other like minded people. ie other forum members nearby, NRA members nearby, other CCW's nearby etc.

i just wish i knew what you were talking about

 

[rforgy]

tried it for a week, removed it it was causing problems with my gmail add ons in firefox.

 

[MNSteve]

How secure is it? I've understand that Skype is semi secure, and land lines and semi-secure digital? cell phones. But is anything really secure? And if/when something happens it would be a good bet that electricity would disappear, at least temporarily. Back to smoke signals? My gmail was one of those caught up in China's global hack job. I don't feel that it or Google or anything online is at all secure.

If you really want to feel secure, Google your name....:yu: