A quick technological fix is not the best response to the December tsunami. In the weeks following the catastrophic Asian tsunami there has been broad support for the development of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean. This is laudable but, argues Keith Alverson, misguided because the next large tsunami is unlikely to occur in the Indian basin. Instead, a tsunami warning system should be developed in the in the context of a global ocean observing system that is regularly used for related hazards such as storm surges, and at the same time provides useful data to a wide range of users.