this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2025
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It's not for streaming. As far as I know it's just text messages. Absolutely agree we should not be using screen time when out and away. We just need that little bit of safety.
There are also hand held radios, strobelights, flares, and PLBs that do not require more satellite infrastructure.
People being lost in the wilderness is not a new problem. It often happens because people don't bother to consider that they might get lost and plan appropriately.
Sorry, but not everyone gets to come home, especially if they don't do a little planning.
Ehhh agree that it frequently happens from poor planning, but I think we should do what we can to improve safety rather than blame victims. Learning about and paying for obscure satellite tech only helps those people who already know a lot about hiking, whereas this could bring the tech to everyone with a phone.
But also I think they could do it with a lot fewer satellites than this. They don't need absolutely great coverage. Just a message service. The government could provide this on an emergency basis.
Improving safety is the never-ending cry of a nanny state. The world is already spectacularly safe -- deadly though it still is. Most of the things that used to eat us are so long dead that we have forgotten to be cautious in the wilderness.
And yeah, after seeing idiot losers trashing places like Yellowstone, I am absolutely fine when they get themselves killed in the middle of nowhere. I'm happier if they get rescued and learn from the experience, but we don't need to toy with Kessler Syndrome to incrementally improve their odds.