U.S. replaces color-coded terror alerts

[JM15 386]

Washington (CNN) -- The United States is replacing its much-mocked system of color-coded terrorism alerts with detailed advisories about specific threats, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Thursday.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/01/27/terror.threats/index.html?hpt=T2

[NJMedic 96]

http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/ntas.shtm

DHS website on the new system

[JM15 386]

Thanks for the link... I was trying to find more information.

[x635 4,066]

That's good. The color system was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen.

[helicopper 1,050]

That's good. The color system was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen.

It might have worked if someone had the fortitude to change it but leaving it the same for 9 years was pointless and it did become one of the most ridiculous things out there.

[wraftery 1,275]

Let's not get too happy. We haven't seen the new system in action. It could be worse than the old one.

[PEMO3 523]

The new system is supposed to send alerts out the general public through both twitter and facebook and each alert will finally have an expiration date. A good idea since when it first came out the "Yellow" alert level meant something and people paid attention. Now "Yellow" is the new "Green" since it never was reduced and "Yellow" became business as usual. Having an expiration for a specific threat is also a double edged sword since once the expiration date comes people will assume the threat has passed and the door will be possible open for the threat to occur without scrutiny.