I agree with you that one cannot blame just Smith alone. Everyone was complacent, and that proved to be fatal.

I have always really wondered if Smith or Lightoller would have really slowed down the ship if they recieved that message from Mesaba.

People have stated that the wireless was seen as a new toy to experienced Captains like Smith and that the importance of them did not strike them at first.

He was driving his vessels as full speed for years across the Atlantic in the springtime without wireless and his and other captains ships were not hitting icebergs every day.

From testimony from Pitman at the American Inquiry, the senior officers knew and discussed among themselves that sometime before midnight on April 14th, the Titanic might encounter ice. One would think that this collection of previous messages might be enough information if Smith and Lightoller were really serious about the ice warnings and slowing down.

Thats why I don't put much blame on Phillips and Bride overlooking the quote "critical ice message". Would it have really done any good?