user78: Since we established the alert system is included in the official client, I would like to know who can trigger the alert system, and how?
Can this system be spammed (activated 1000s times per second) thus disabling any use of the client? (Because he would get annoying popups all the time)

user85: "Alert messages are signed with a private key that only I have." - Satoshi Nakamoto
Such a spam would be pretty pointless. It would take only a few hours at most before the alert system was disabled.

user22: Just got confirmation that Satoshi passed the signing key to Gavin before he retired, so at present only Gavin (and Satoshi if he ever returns) is able to send out alerts.

78: <p>Since we established <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/636/is-the-alert-system-still-in-the-main-clients-code-will-it-be-removed/711#711">the alert system is included in the official client</a>, I would like to know who can trigger the alert system, and how?</p>

<p>Can this system be spammed (activated 1000s times per second) thus disabling any use of the client? (Because he would get annoying popups all the time)</p>
 85: <p>"Alert messages are signed with a private key that only I have." - <a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=898.0" rel="nofollow">Satoshi Nakamoto</a></p>

<p>Such a spam would be pretty pointless. It would take only a few hours at most before the alert system was disabled.</p>
 22: <p>Just got <a href="http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=CAJNQ0suvvAC%2bTBu5Cbt%2bQ2=aycMnVHRXXGccEdytSZOj10w5JA@mail.gmail.com&amp;forum_name=bitcoin-development" rel="nofollow">confirmation</a> that Satoshi passed the signing key to Gavin before he retired, so at present only Gavin (and Satoshi if he ever returns) is able to send out alerts.</p>
