[wplug-board] wplug phone number

[Michael Loomis]

I think if we want to grow our club we need to let people communicate with
us in the way they choose. Google numbers as voice mailboxes are pretty
safe ways to let people communicate with us. My gay Jewish group also uses
Google voice. We don't get any abusive phone calls and the number is
published many places on the web.

I would suggest a telephone greeting along the line: "Thank you for calling
Western Pennsylvania Linux Users Group. This phone line is intended to help
people who want more information about our meetings. Calls for other
purposes such as Linux help will not be returned. If you need information
about a meeting, please leave a message. " After that, anyone with an
expectation that their call is going to be returned will simply have to be
disappointed.


On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 13:29, Pat Barron <pat at lectroid.com> wrote:

>  I had assumed the P-G wanted a phone number as an administrative contact
> (in case they had questions about the announcement itself and needed to
> talk to us for clarification), not that they wanted it for publication.
>
> I still don't think we should offer phone as a means of contact for WPLUG
> participants (and potential participants), except perhaps as an "I'm lost,
> please give me directions" hotline on meeting days.  I think doing so is
> just asking for potential pain.  Publishing a phone number for public use I
> think creates an expectation that the phone is going to be answered when
> called, I do think it will attract "help desk" calls, and I believe that
> folks who would use the phone in preference to e-mail are not likely to
> really gain much benefit from any interaction with WPLUG.  I think it's
> good for providing a phone contact number to entities that WPLUG may do
> business with (like the bank, the media, etc.).  Previous WPLUG boards have
> also used the Google Voice number for outgoing multi-party calls (though
> none of these seem to be documented anywhere, I only know this from talking
> to Ted Rodgers).
>
> Of course, I'm only one person on a five person board, and may be more
> cynical than most.  Do any other board members have an opinion (one way or
> the other)?  The only ones taking a position on record so far are Michael
> and me.  Please speak up, whatever your thoughts might be.  If nobody else
> pipes up, Michael, I'd say go ahead and use the number in our announcements
> and such, and we'll see what happens.  We can always stop using it and
> change the number later if it becomes a problem.
>
> --Pat.
>
>
> On 04/10/2012 11:18 AM, Michael Loomis wrote:
>
> I know you don't want to have the phone number be abused as a help desk
> number. On the other hand, what's the point of having a phone number if we
> never use it?
>  It cost Google a little money to provide it for us, and we should give
> the number back if we are adamant about not using it. I hope we can agree
> to make it public on the Post-Gazette website and expose here on the
> mailing list archive. You are aware that the Google phone number can act as
> simply a mailbox and that no one's phone needs to ring? Our greeting can
> indicate that calls asking for help about Linux will not be returned and
> suggest looking on line.
>
>
>
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>
>
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