[sf-lug] Centralised phone number for Linux Support

Mon Sep 17 15:18:53 PDT 2007

I will be at this evening's meeting; see you guys there.

Nathan

On 9/15/07, Nathan Hoover <nathan at foo-o-rama.com> wrote:
>
> Not sure yet; my wife's very pregnant. I will come if we're not in the
> middle of having a baby :)
>
> Nathan
>
>
> On 9/15/07, jim stockford <jim at well.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >    it might be worth a lot to us if we decide to
> > try Asterisk for Tom's support phone idea.
> > Can we hit you up for help? Do you plan to
> > come to Monday evening's meeting (6 to 8
> > at Javacat on Geary at 20th in SF)?
> >
> >
> > On Sep 15, 2007, at 6:55 PM, Nathan Hoover wrote:
> >
> > > Asterisk in and of itself is pretty easy to set up. Those products
> > > (trixbox, asteriskNOW) are meant to install a whole system from
> > > scratch, via an ISO.
> > >
> > > I have some limited experience installing and configuring it (I have a
> > > working system here at home...) for whatever that's worth.
> > >
> > >
> > > Nathan
> > >
> > >
> > > On 9/15/07, jim stockford <jim at well.com> wrote:
> > >> My first hope is that VoIP, probably in the form of
> > >> Asterisk, will answer the need. What can we do to
> > >> explore that possibility? I can volunteer a machine
> > >> with static IP internet accessible address. I dimly
> > >> remember a product offering that lets one install
> > >> Asterisk, pretty much ready to go, anyone know
> > >> of this?
> > >>
> > >> Can we use the SF-LUG colo box for web access
> > >> to support info in the time being?
> > >>
> > >> Do you need more help from SF-LUG folks?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Sep 15, 2007, at 11:01 AM, Tom Haddon wrote:
> > >>
> > >> >
> > >> > On Sat, 2007-09-15 at 10:47 -0700, jim stockford wrote:
> > >> >> by "put in time" i mean people who answer the phone
> > >> >> and/or respond to phone messages and provide help
> > >> >> to callers.
> > >> >
> > >> > Hi Jim,
> > >> >
> > >> > This is already happening for the HVLC project. Currently Gloria,
> > >> Ruby
> > >> > and Kami have my number and are calling me with issues (I've had
> > >> three
> > >> > calls so far for tech support issues). I don't have a problem with
> > >> > answering their calls, but I'm trying to think of ways to make the
> > >> > system more reliable if I'm away on holiday/unable to answer the
> > >> phone,
> > >> > etc. Currently we could just set up a call tree (Jason has
> > >> volunteered
> > >> > as an alternate person they could call if I'm unavailable), but
> > that
> > >> > means them having multiple numbers, knowing who to call when, and
> > if
> > >> > any
> > >> > of us changes our phone number then they need to be updated.
> > >> >
> > >> > Obviously this will require time from those interesting in offering
> >
> > >> > support to projects like these. What I'm trying to figure out is,
> > if
> > >> > there are people who are interested/able to provide that support,
> > >> > what's
> > >> > the best way of managing that.
> > >> >
> > >> > Thanks, Tom
> > >> >
> > >> >> seems like installing and config'ing would need time
> > >> >> and expertise. as to maintenance, i don't know, but a
> > >> >> tho't is how phone messages are stored, queued,
> > >> >> removed--standard filesystem stuff, probably.
> > >> >>
> > >> >>
> > >> >> On Sep 15, 2007, at 9:04 AM, Tom Haddon wrote:
> > >> >>
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>> On Fri, 2007-09-14 at 17:25 -0700, jim stockford wrote:
> > >> >>>> a reaction: great idea.
> > >> >>>> someone has to pay for the phone and some ones
> > >> >>>> have to be willing to put in some time.
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>> I guess I should have specified - another criteria would be low
> > >> cost
> > >> >>> if
> > >> >>> not free. However, I actually don't think the cost is the real
> > >> issue
> > >> >>> -
> > >> >>> I
> > >> >>> think if it was cheap enough it would be easy enough to find
> > >> funds to
> > >> >>> pay for it.
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>> How do you mean someone would have a to willing to put in some
> > >> time?
> > >> >>> For
> > >> >>> what aspect - the management of the system? I think that would be
> > >> >>> outweighed by the benefits of a system like this.
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>>> this might best be done using VoIP and software
> > >> >>>> such as asterisk.
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>> That would be cool. Perhaps some VoIP/asterisk experts could
> > >> weigh in
> > >> >>> and let me know if all this is possible using asterisk. If so, I
> > >> >>> think
> > >> >>> this would probably be a better way to go since then you're not
> > >> >>> dependent on some outside provider. What I'm not sure about is
> > how
> > >> >>> you
> > >> >>> hook up asterisk to the regular phone network so that people can
> > >> all
> > >> >>> into it from a regular phone. If anyone has some experience on
> > >> this,
> > >> >>> would they be willing to discuss at a LUG meeting?
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>> Cheers, Tom
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>>>
> > >> >>>> On Sep 14, 2007, at 5:01 PM, Tom Haddon wrote:
> > >> >>>>
> > >> >>>>> Hi Folks,
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> I've been mulling over an idea that came up in my head after
> > >> >>>>> reading
> > >> >>>>> about Grand Central:
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> http://www.grandcentral.com/
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> The idea is related to phone support for the Hayes Valley
> > >> Learning
> > >> >>>>> Center project that a few members on the list have been working
> > >> on,
> > >> >>>>> but
> > >> >>>>> could related more generally to a number of other projects. I
> > >> was
> > >> >>>>> thinking that often non-technical users need support,
> > >> especially in
> > >> >>>>> something they're as unfamiliar with as Linux, and that ongoing
> > >> >>>>> support
> > >> >>>>> is pretty vital to the success of any project like that.
> > >> Preferably
> > >> >>>>> phone support, because if they could get online and/or get to a
> > >> >>>>> ticketing system to enter a problem for a support team to deal
> > >> >>>>> with,
> > >> >>>>> chances are they don't have a problem in the first place :)
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> So, are there any sustainable free centralized phone services
> > >> like
> > >> >>>>> Grand
> > >> >>>>> Central out there (or Grand Central itself) that anyone has
> > >> >>>>> experience
> > >> >>>>> with and could recommend? What I'm looking for (in an ideal
> > >> world):
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> - One phone number that could be relied upon to last for a good
> > >> few
> > >> >>>>> years at least
> > >> >>>>> - You could subscribe multiple phones to this number at will
> > >> >>>>> - Voicemail if no forwarding numbers are subscribed
> > >> >>>>> - Email notification of messages and online storage of
> > voicemail
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> This would allow for a fairly nebulous group (like the SF LUG)
> > >> to
> > >> >>>>> provide a project with one support phone number to call, and
> > >> behind
> > >> >>>>> the
> > >> >>>>> scenes (and without too much administration) to turn that into
> > a
> > >> >>>>> phone
> > >> >>>>> support system that would be reliable enough to cope with
> > >> members
> > >> >>>>> leaving/joining the project and/or being away on holiday or
> > >> >>>>> something.
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> Any ideas or recommendations?
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> Thanks, Tom
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> P.S. All I know about Grand Central I read on their website. I
> > >> >>>>> haven't
> > >> >>>>> used them and while I tried to sign up, it seems like they're
> > >> in a
> > >> >>>>> closed beta at the moment.
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> --
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> ----------------------------------
> > >> >>>>> Tom Haddon
> > >> >>>>> mailto:tom at greenleaftech.net
> > >> >>>>> m +1.415.871.4180
> > >> >>>>> www.greenleaftech.net
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> > >> >>>>> sf-lug mailing list
> > >> >>>>> sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
> > >> >>>>> http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/sf-lug
> > >> >>>>>
> > >> >>>>
> > >> >>> --
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>> ----------------------------------
> > >> >>> Tom Haddon
> > >> >>> mailto: tom at greenleaftech.net
> > >> >>> m +1.415.871.4180
> > >> >>> www.greenleaftech.net
> > >> >>>
> > >> >>
> > >> > --
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > ----------------------------------
> > >> > Tom Haddon
> > >> > mailto: tom at greenleaftech.net
> > >> > m +1.415.871.4180
> > >> > www.greenleaftech.net
> > >> >
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> sf-lug mailing list
> > >> sf-lug at linuxmafia.com
> > >> http://linuxmafia.com/mailman/listinfo/sf-lug
> > >
> >
> >
>
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