Dear Editor,

Here are some critical tips to enhance the government-approved/sponsored Stay Alert app and to reduce confusion.

Firstly, re the dialog box: “Your GPS is switched off or inaccessible and this will prevent you from using certain features.” This dialog box needs to tell the user which critical features are affected, and could read thus: “Your GPS is switched off or inaccessible and this will prevent you from using certain audio-visual emergency features.” I have heard that some of these SOS services are data-free. Let the user know.

Secondly, the activatable “Alert” and “Panic Mode” buttons should be given more priority and not placed on the same page, with the information buttons “Report” and “The law” placed below.

Put the “Panic Mode” button within the first half of the square with larger font and then use smaller font to explain horizontally: “This will alert the police. Are you sure ?” Or “911 equivalent”, something to that effect.

Thirdly, put the “Alert“ button below the “Panic Mode” in large font, separated by a line, and again use smaller font to explain what pressing that button will do. The user should be able to differentiate between the purposes of the “Panic Mode” and “Alert” buttons, thereby making their priority explicit rather than suggestive.

Then you can put the “Report” and “The law” or “Legal” information buttons on another page and link them by an info button, menu button, etc, maybe with even smaller writing at the bottom of the same page. Take a survey and see which is preferable. The substantive point is to avoid detraction from and/or confusion with the space/section/area of the “Alert” and “Panic Mode” buttons.

Perhaps the app could have an “Updates” section through which the constabulary force’s secretaries could submit information on authentic status reports or on missing and abducted people, avoiding trouble-ridden areas in breaking news, etc. It could even be the constabulary force’s Twitter feeds, scrolling marquees, etc.

Jamaica needs a fact-checking website or app where the police can submit status reports beyond

Twitter. We also need to protect tourism, so a closedFacebook group of interested local individuals could be created. The Diaspora can wait for the media reports.

The app needs updating and the police would receive fewer accidental calls from people attempting to set up the app.

Kudos to you on the improved registration process, however.

Ryan O’Neil Seaton

Kingston 8

herestoresmysoul@live.com