State Department Communications

No. Not much interested in anything they say.

There's an app for that, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), android & iOS.

I subscribed to a TSA newsletter for a bit, but it was quite repetitive, e.g., telling me each week how many loaded guns had been intercepted at US security checkpoints. The state.gov web site is always there when you want to look for their latest info.

The one just released about France is not a new warning/alert - it's just an extension of the state of emergency initiated by France after the terrorist attacks in Paris. It's been extended twice now but I'm not aware of any new information.

I have enrolled in the Step Program and let Embassy's know when I'll be in a given country. At that point I will get an occasional e-mail about security threats, strikes, warnings etc. That has: a) been helpful (warned of a very disruptive strike in Peru recently) and b) gives me relatively few "extra" e-mails. For me, that is sufficient.

If I acted on every warning put out by the State Dept, I probably wouldn't go anywhere..so, since I'm not willing to act upon these warnings (with the exception of extremely dangerous areas in the world), I don't really pay much attention to them. It may be irresponsible, but it keeps me sane and happy. Luckily I don't have any dependents who need to worry about me, and my parents and SO are not worry-prone.

I sort of tend to be one of those that want all the information I can get from every source I can find before I make a decision. Its always worked better for me than relying on political theory. So, no source is off limits, from MSNBC to CNN to the trashiest UK tabloid to Fox to the BBC and DW and the State Department and the UK equivalent. Just a matter of filtering it and cross checking it. Yes, I get the notices too.

I dont even look for stuff like that, i figure if there is some very seriuos imminent threat i will find via the news, or the various forums i go on, locals usually give the heads up for strikes etc( at least on one forum i go on there are enough locals and expats ,so they tell us about stuff like that)

I think if you pay too much attention to warnings you would go insane, its like reading side effect on aspirin.

I don't get these communications. I don't read the notices, I don't bother.