Monday, February 15, 2010

Welcome to Smart, Simple & Safe - The SOS LINK Blog

Welcome new readers!

My name is Jill and I am with SOS LINK. SOS LINK™ is a personal security software company (www.soslink.com) that makes smart, simple, and inexpensive personal security technology that runs on smartphones – such as the iPhone or Blackberry. Thanks for checking out our blog...

The Writer & The Relationship with SOS LINK
I have a background in social services research and, prior to joining SOS LINK, spent the last several years working within the mental health sector.

I became familiar with SOS LINK when we were looking for a product that would help to keep our clinicians safe while they were working outside of the office - usually in the homes of clients. Many of the clients had psychotic disorders and addictions and we needed to find a way to protect our staff in the event that they (or the client) experienced a crisis or emergency. We looked at several options - pagers, GPS locators, call in services... but many were clunky, slow to respond and, ultimately, too expensive for our use. Then I found out about SOS LINK, and the rest is history... here I am.

To Fear, or Not to Fear - That's Actually Not the Question
So, a little more about me. I don't believe in fear-mongering, nor do I jump on the RISK RISK RISK bandwagon.

But I am a realist.

I get that there are reasons to be concerned about one's personal safety:
- there are people out who do not follow social norms,
- there are perpetrators of domestic abuse,
- there are individuals who do not respect the personal space of others,
- there are people who commit crimes (robberies, etc.) to support their addictions, and
- there are people who are simply deviants.
And the list goes on. There is a need to protect ourselves and we all can't become martial artists or live in a bubble where everything is safe and perfect. That's just not realistic. So it's not about whether or not we should be afraid of threats in our communities (the 'to fear or not to fear' question), but how we can be prepared to face them, should anything happen.

The SOS LINK Solution
I chose to join the SOS LINK team because I believe in the product. I think that most people who already use a Blackberry or iPhone wouldn't mind having an extra layer of security - especially since the technology is inexpensive and only requires one to press a "START" button. (This is what is often referred to as a 'low-barrier' solution; that is - one need not be a rocket scientist nor independently wealthy to use it.) In fact, I think most people would welcome such a product and we are committed to telling as many people about this new security option as possible. Hence the blog.

So, keep checking back. I'll be talking about how SOS LINK fits in to this brave new world - and how we can all be a little bit safer.

Cheers,

Jill

1 comment:

  1. Teenagers think bad things happen to others and so don't think they need this. Parents know that somebody's child was the victim and they don't want it to be theirs. So parents, MAKE your child download it - for your peace of mind.
    And, while you're at it, download a copy yourself. Better to have it and never use it than one day be wishing you had downloaded it!

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