I noted the introduction of the UK’s very own threat level last year when MI5 introduced it. Almost immediately, the threat level jumped from “Severe” to “Critical”. A few days later it dropped back to “Severe” where it’s been ever since.
Well now the BBC is reporting that MI5 is going to allow us to register on a website for email updates when the threat level changes. This is obviously really important, because we all need to know immediately when the threat level changes and what can be better than, er, sending out emails?
Maybe they should have a texting system too. They could charge you £1.50 an update and use the funds to help pay for the ID Card system. Better start saving now for those big IT project cost overruns.
Obviously MI5 hasn’t bothered putting – oh – an RSS feed of this up. But then email’s probably quite forward thinking. Obviously they really should be working on their widgets. That’s what all the cool kids are doing now. And links to all the various IM systems – you just send a message to your “friend” Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller (head of MI5) and “she” IMs you back the threat level. They probably ought to set up a Myspace page too, then we could all subscribe to their blog to keep us up to date. And if they had a Flickr page, I’d could make them a friend and keep on top of the latest wanted photos that are out there.
One way or another, if we’re going six months between threat level changes, I suspect that the news media will report it, and I won’t be reliant on having a Blackberry about my person.