Techophobes

I have all kinds of new ideas for using new technologies to get it done for non-profit agencies. I think you have seen that, if you are following this blog. The problem is that the people who run things are pretty much my age–and that would be 62, my friends. They just do NOT get this stuff and nothing I can do changes that. I personally want to fix this, and set up the agencies I deal with on new technolgies that could help them–like Goggle Voice. That gives them a way to send phone calls from potential donors to a volunteer, working from home. My problem is that my clients do not understand any of this and cannot, therfore, see the advantages of this approach. What are you going to do?

The Phone Squad

Image via CrunchBase

I recently set up a Google Voice number for one of my non-profit clients, an anti-poverty agency. I went to their site and requested an invitation for them. I then sent Google an email telling them what I planned to use it for. I figured that they would see the public relations possiblities of something like this. They activated the account immediately. Cool.

The plan is simple. I am going to help them put together a squad of volunteers to man the phone during their Thanksgiving-Christmas donations drive. They are looking for food, clothing, furniture, appliances and, of course, money. Their problem is that, up to now, their main phone number is clogged with desperate pleas for help from hundreds of people. It is nearly impossible to get through to them, and, if you do, you do not get the kind of treatment you should if you are calling to give troubled families a Thanksgiving dinner or toys to give the kids for Christmas.

Their new Voice number will be for donations. The people who answer will be volunteers who will answer from home. They will be able to volunteer without leaving home. They will be able to put a widget on their website that will automatically call them and then call the volunteer on duty–and hook them up. That is one of the features of Voice.

There is only one problem. I do not think that these volunteers should be out there all alone, if they have questions or problems. I would like to build a collaboration platform that would give them instant access to a supervisor. My sense is that you could do this with Skype.

My problem here is what it always is. I am going to have a hard time getting the people in charge to understand what I am doing with this. They are my age, and, unfortunately, therefore technophobic. I am going to have a lot of splaining to do. (That is for those who are old enough to remember I Love Lucy.)

Learn to Text

If you want to communicate with your children–in the way they communicate with friends–learn to text. Young people use SMS texting on their phones as a major part of their communication with others. If you want to communicate with them, there you are. I can give you a lot of information on texting, but I cannot really help you unless you tell me what kind of device you are using to text.

Tell you what, send me a text at 973-506-9348 and I will respond and you can learn how to converse using SMS. If you cannot figure out how to use your computer, phone or other device to text, email me at bookmarc1947@gmail.com and let me know what computer, operating system, device or whatever you are using to text and I will see what I can do. I promise.

To my Indian friends in Montana who contacted me after my last post, let me say this: this is one that you probably do not have to worry about. Texting is mostly a cellphone thing and that is not something you have to worry about–yet.

New Software and Gadgets

I note that there are now a number of people following this blog, though, as usual, I am getting some emails and few comments. It always takes a while to develop a community around this kind of thing. I have gotten some emails, though. Anyway, I wanted to see if I can talk some of you into helping me. I do my best to stay up to date with all the new stuff–I guess that is pretty obvious. But I have limited time and it is fair to say that no one person can keep up with the accelerating pace of technology.

I don’t know about you, but I just hate the fact that the incredible new gadget I buy–a tiny digital recorder that hold 24 hours of interviews or a HD webcam that you can put in your shirt pocket or whatever–is obsolete in three months or less and has been replaced by something even cooler. The same goes for new software system. Just when you are sure that Skype is the greatest thing in VOIP, Google Voice comes along and blows you away. I am sure that the kind of reader who is attracted by this blog has had that experience, again and again. Who in the world has the time and money it would take to keep up with all the new stuff? I wish to hell I did, but I don’t.

I think we need some teamwork here. If you run across some interesting new gadget or software or web service or whatever, post about it here–or, if you insist on being shy, shoot me an email. I am particularly interested in gadgets that make the world more accessible to people with disabilities, particularly aging Hippies.

BTW, I don’t know if you are following the story, but there seems to be an ongoing back-and-forth between Skype, Apple and the traditional phone companies. There is an interesting article on it on Wired.com.

It Works!

I realize that a whole lot of people are reading this blog, despite the fact that few comment on my posts. I am getting emails from some of you, but the other users here do not see that. Please use the comments feature here if you want to ask a question or make a comment. You can feel free to email me as well, but it would help me grow my audience if you comment.

My telephone system is working. If I leave my home office, I can still get my business calls on my Internet appliance or from any other number I choose. I can even redirect calls using my Internet appliance. It all works and it is pretty much perfect for someone who works the way I do–from multiple locations. And calling one of my contacts requires a single mouse-click.

Tell you what, though. I have a suspicion that a few of you out there are familiar with other interesting technologies. Things change so fast these days and new possibilities emerge. If you have a new way of making the online world more accessible or using it more effectively, please get in touch. Leave a comment or send me an email. I just love trying out new stuff. And, if it seems that it is something that might be helpful to people with disabilities, I will do my best to see that they hear about it. Get in touch.

Mobile Phone

Let me start with this. I realize that my stuff is pretty technical. If you have a question about what I am talking about or want to set something like Skype or Google Voice up and just don’t know how, this place is for you. Shoot me a comment and I will give all the help I can. Honest.

I mentioned my cheap Skype business number and my Google Voice account in an earlier post. As you probably recall, my business number–973-679-4170–is essentially a Skype Call-in number. My Google Voice number– 973-506-9348–can be assigned anywhere. I can make it ring on any phone number I want. I currently have it set up to ring my home number, my business line, my mobile phone and my Gizmo5 account. (Gizmo5 is definitely part of Google’s attempt to compete directly with Skype. You can already use it to make calls using a Google Voice account–and they are free, for now, anywhere in the US or Canada.

As I told you, my problem was that I had 1000 business cards printed with that cheap Skype call-in number on them. If  Google Voice had been available at the time, I would have used it instead, but there you go.

What it means, at the moment, is that you can create and use a new phone number in your area code at no cost at all. If you download and install Gizmo5, you can make and receive free calls and all you need is high-speed Internet. Of course, it may be difficult to have just high-speed Internet. The providers are well aware of the cheap competition from a growing number of VOIP phone providers–with Skype pretty much at the head of the list. That could be why so many of them package their Internet service with phone service. All of those poles with all of that wire are pretty much antiques and keeping them going costs a lot of money. One day, you will have only one fiber optics cable coming into your house that will provide you with TV, Internet and video telephone.

You cannot use Google Voice with Skype, unless you have a call-in number. I do, but most Skype users do not. You can use Gizmo5 right out of the box to send and receive Google Voice calls.

I finally worked out a way to use Google Voice to solve my problems. I set up my Skype account to forward to my Google Voice number if I am not on Skype. I can then set up where I want Google Voice to send calls on my computer and on my Sidekick, the Internet appliance I use. In fact, I got three business calls before and after the demonstration I attended in Newark with my good buddy, disability activist Ethan B. Ellis. All were from my business number. Shaaazam.

This means that my business number is now totally portable. If I visit my brother in the Ozarks in Southern Missouri, I can set my business line to ring from his home number. If I attend a meeting or an event, I can send the calls to my mobile. If I take a business trip and stay overnight, I can make it ring whereever I am staying. Beat that.

Marc Mercer

 

Cheap Telephone

If you have a highspeed Internet connection, you can get telephone service for next to nothing. In fact, it is possible to get it for nothing.

I currently use Skype for my business telephone and fax numbers. It comes to about $40 a year for unlimited calls within Canada and the United States. All you have to do is get a subcription for the calls and a Skype dial-in number in your area code. You can add fax by buying Pamfax, a Skype add-on. They also make call recording software for both audio and video calls.

I make and receive calls using a wireless Skype phone. The people on the other end of the line are not aware that they are talking over a computer. The call quality is as good as any other telephone.

Admittedly, it is a bit difficult to set up that way. There is now a way to get pretty much the same thing for absolutely no cost at all, though it is a bit complicated too. The first thing you have to do is get a Google Voice account. That gives you a free local number and free calls to the United States and Canada–and cheap International rates. You can send the calls from your Voice number to any telephone number you like. I currently have mine set to ring both my home and office numbers. If I go out, I can transfer it to my cell phone. You can also set up Gizmo, a free VOIP phone, and make and receive Google Voice calls using it.

There is, of course, a downside to everything. Google Voice is a new service, currently being tested. I have a pretty strong suspicion that Google ultimately plans to go into direct competition with Skype. In the end, these currently free services may cost something, though it will probably be very cheap. If you try to sign up for it right now, you may have to wait for a while for a response. The people I know who have recently registered with Google Voice are getting long waits before getting accepted.  By the way, Voice has call recording more or less built in, but only for calls you receive. It has several other revolutionary features and is fun to play with. Just goes to show you what you can do if you stay current with new technologies.

Hello world!

Working with Next Step, a group of disability activists, I get numerous calls, emails and other communications requesting assistance in using technology. The web has a lot of promise for this group, since the inaccessiblity of the real world is an issue for many of them. I spent much of the last ten years designing and managing online workplaces–and found that people with disabilities were among my best workers.

I plan to base this blog on the requests for technical assistance I get–and the solutions we come up with. Since these folks face the same issues of social and professional inclusion online that they face everywhere else, I just felt that this would make an interesting topic–and a way of sharing solutions.