Minnesota’s New COVID App Promises Non-Confrontational Alerts
Patch notes for the new COVID contact tracing app co-produced by the State of Minnesota revealed a toggle option for a non-confrontational mode. Conveniently named “Ope” mode, the app turns all notifications into light, non-intrusive vibrations that make crucial medical information feel like home.
While ordinary users will be notified whenever they may have been in contact with COVID-19, “Ope” mode users will get the same details but prefaced with patented SmallTalk™ technology to ease “too informationally spicy” particulars.
The decision to add the mode was a no-brainer for the developers.
Sven Svenson, lead coder for the app and proud Concordia alum, remarked that “you will find an ease with this game-changing innovation to COVID prevention. We realize that this may hinder information getting to people in a timely way, but we also understand Minnesotans prefer to have their bad news preceded by meaningless and lengthy discussion about the weather.”
“I love the function,” said Tyler Gibbson of Bemidji. “It puts a spoonful of “Minnesota Nice” in my potentially lifesaving information. As it is, dozens of Minnesotans die a day from the coronavirus. “I’m “worried” about it, I just don’t want to worry about it, ya know?
Following the function’s success, the team plans to expand the system to eventually include parking tickets, fire alarms, and calls from your parents af