this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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[–] [email protected] 101 points 2 weeks ago (45 children)
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[–] [email protected] 58 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (4 children)

People that work on-call do this, especially in tech or security.

I'm considering making the switch because my paging calls are from a random set of phone numbers, so I cannot attach a specific ringtone to them. After a few horrible pages, you start to associate your phone going off as a world-ending experience, when it's just your wife calling to ask if you want her to pick something up for you from the shop. A separate device that disassociates my phone from pain would be nice.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Alternative thought, what about dual sims? Could you not assign a ringtone to a specific sim, and use that sims phone number only for work?

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago

A separate device that disassociates my phone from pain would be nice.

Like a work phone?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

Opsgenie and PagerDuty let you add them as contacts from within the app and it manages the rotating numbers for you so you can keep using a specific ringtone for them. This is also how they can override DND so you can go back to muting your phone at night and know that pages will still come in.

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Who still uses pagers?

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon (injured in pager explosion), apparently!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

He was probably meeting with someone who had one, being an ambassador and all.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

People that work in classified environments. You can't have smart devices (phones, watches, anything that communicates with the outside) while in these controlled spaces. pagers are acceptable because they're 1 way communication, so there's no risk of data leaks from the classified space

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Pagers are not guaranteed to be 1 way comms and bringing them into secure locations is a security violation. Additionally, depending on the classification, no unauthorized and undisclosed devices of any kind would be permitted, including any electronics or electronic media such as tapes, CDs, discs, etc. Even when I was issued a verified 1-way pager, I was specifically briefed I was not permitted to bring it into a classified location. Most of the highly classified SCIFS are shielded anyways, you can't use it inside so it's safer to leave it out, along with all other devices.

If your organization allows it, then (if federal) they are breaking the law and should be reported/up-channeled. If it's corpo, you should bring up additional concerns with your security team.

Edit: Also, it goes without saying, current events are probably a good reason why pagers (and other devices) aren't allowed in classified areas. While most focus on disclosure (getting out), we must not forget the risk of data/operations getting destroyed.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

Idk man, I have a federally compliant 1 way pager. So it's not illegal. We score the highest marks on our DoD security audits every year. Theyre distrubuted from the security office, so I'm sure they do some sort of vetting on each individual one.

We're a govt contractor, but our civilian govt counterparts use them too

[–] [email protected] 29 points 2 weeks ago

3000 less people than last week

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

You can also setup local comms network for them and the bands they can operate in have better structural penetration vs most WiFi/cellular?

It also gives them a singular, simple device that won't be confused for personal notifications like a smart phone.

Not everything needs to be bleeding edge. We still use forks and spoons cuz they just work.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I saw something where they gave their kid a pager instead of a phone so they could still be told when to come home but couldn't waste time fucking about online.

I thought that might actually be pretty effective except for the fact that the kid could easily just ignore your pages.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Although there are dumb phones out there

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The Wire... great show to watch.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Beeper king ftw

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

Guests at restaurants where you get a device that beeps when your food is ready. Guess what? That's a pager.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

The irony is unreal

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

People that don't want their location triangulated from cell phone towers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

In the HAM Radio world we use them. But we also use our own infrastructure. I have mine set to let me know when something happens that needs my attention asap. Only works around my stuff or other HAMs that have stuff tied into our system. So not useful outside narrow circumstances.

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