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Life without a cell phone

blog.nbrogi.com

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Re: Life without a cell phone

#31

Post by ericdykstra »

runjake wrote: post #12

Family and close friends get my cell number. Everyone else gets my Google Voice number. If I don't want to be bothered by unimportant calls, I launch the Google Voice app and enable do not disturb. If I permanently want certain numbers, or unknown numbers to go straight to voicemail permanently, I set it up. I don't hear a ring. I get a push notification if they leave a voicemail. If Google Voice isn't your cup of te…

To add to your post about other options for call management, if you have a rooted Android phone, I recommend Call Master ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fahrbot.apps.b... )

You can whitelist everyone in your contacts, blacklist all restricted numbers, or go down to individual numbers and just never see calls from spam callers. You can even set up schedules (only accept calls from my close family between 10pm and 6am, for example).

Re: Life without a cell phone

#32

Post by Amadou »

nbrogi wrote: post #25
Jare wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised people (especially clients) react better to you not having a cell phone at all than to you not always answering. I always make sure to disable the auto-away setting in all chat/IM programs so it always shows me as online, and then I explain to everyone that since the program is not smart enough to know for sure that I am available, I prefer to avoid the confusion. With phones I follow a similar philosop…

I think that for them the situation improved. If they called me to see if I knew their password and I didn't help them they'd feel stuck, now they just go in their inbox, find it themselves, and go on with their lives without emailing me, which ultimately doesn't piss them off. Before, I just couldn't handle the amount of calls and sometimes I just wouldn't even call back if I thought it wasn't important, then people…

That sounds like a business opportunity. If people want to call you for hand-holding then charge them money for it. On-call support contract - business hours or a more expensive 24-hour option. Make it a "best effort" contract so you aren't liable if you can't answer the phone.

Re: Life without a cell phone

#33

Post by sliverstorm »

runjake wrote: post #12

Family and close friends get my cell number. Everyone else gets my Google Voice number. If I don't want to be bothered by unimportant calls, I launch the Google Voice app and enable do not disturb. If I permanently want certain numbers, or unknown numbers to go straight to voicemail permanently, I set it up. I don't hear a ring. I get a push notification if they leave a voicemail. If Google Voice isn't your cup of te…

I skipped out on data plans ages ago, because the truth of the matter is I'm near a computer or at least WiFi nearly all the time, and when I'm not I specifically don't want access- e.g. at a park, in the forest, bicycling on a trail.

Re: Life without a cell phone

#34

Post by nbrogi »

sliverstorm wrote: post #33
runjake wrote: post #12

Family and close friends get my cell number. Everyone else gets my Google Voice number. If I don't want to be bothered by unimportant calls, I launch the Google Voice app and enable do not disturb. If I permanently want certain numbers, or unknown numbers to go straight to voicemail permanently, I set it up. I don't hear a ring. I get a push notification if they leave a voicemail. If Google Voice isn't your cup of te…

I skipped out on data plans ages ago, because the truth of the matter is I'm near a computer or at least WiFi nearly all the time, and when I'm not I specifically don't want access- e.g. at a park, in the forest, bicycling on a trail.

Exactly my point.

Re: Life without a cell phone

#35

Post by nbrogi »

ericdykstra wrote: post #31
runjake wrote: post #12

Family and close friends get my cell number. Everyone else gets my Google Voice number. If I don't want to be bothered by unimportant calls, I launch the Google Voice app and enable do not disturb. If I permanently want certain numbers, or unknown numbers to go straight to voicemail permanently, I set it up. I don't hear a ring. I get a push notification if they leave a voicemail. If Google Voice isn't your cup of te…

To add to your post about other options for call management, if you have a rooted Android phone, I recommend Call Master ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fahrbot.apps.b... ) You can whitelist everyone in your contacts, blacklist all restricted numbers, or go down to individual numbers and just never see calls from spam callers. You can even set up schedules (only accept calls from my close family betwe…

Thanks, will check it out!

Re: Life without a cell phone

#36

Post by tekalon »

One thing I've been looking into doing is using Talkatone or other such app on my tablets and Google voice on my computer to handle voice calls. This way I only need to have one of my devices around rather than how I usually keep my phone and tablet nearby. As mentioned by others, the cost savings would be great. I already don't receive a lot of calls (most of my family contacts through IM or texts). The only thing I would hate is to lose the number I have through my carrier. It's easy to remember, and I'm already used to it. Wait, I can port it over. Nevermind.

Re: Life without a cell phone

#37

Post by nbrogi »

avenger123 wrote: post #30
nbrogi wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep tried that, too :-) I've long had this prob. with getting interrupted by calls. Again, people would get mad that I ignored them, or that I wasn't available. Somehow, since you don't have a cell phone they don't get offended or complain (I'm talking about clients in particular).

"Again, people would get mad that I ignored them, or that I wasn't available." I find this interesting.. I don't have an expectation that someone is always going to answer their phone... that's what voicemail is for. I also don't give the expectation that I will answer my phone on every ring the first time.

My clients were much worse I guess...

Do you need a web app? :-)

Re: Life without a cell phone

#38

Post by militiaman21 »

Jare wrote: post #20
nbrogi wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried :-) But then people started saying that I was either not reachable or I ignored them. I didn't get rid of my cell phone on purpose, just used the fact that it broke to not get another one, and it just works great for me.

I'm surprised people (especially clients) react better to you not having a cell phone at all than to you not always answering. I always make sure to disable the auto-away setting in all chat/IM programs so it always shows me as online, and then I explain to everyone that since the program is not smart enough to know for sure that I am available, I prefer to avoid the confusion. With phones I follow a similar philosop…

This is the same approach I use. I set the expectation that my cellphone is NOT for you to reach me 24/7. You can sure try but I reserve the right to not answer for any reason. My phone is normally on vibrate or airplane mode.

Re: Life without a cell phone

#39

Post by nbrogi »

dankoss wrote: post #10
nbrogi wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried :-) But then people started saying that I was either not reachable or I ignored them. I didn't get rid of my cell phone on purpose, just used the fact that it broke to not get another one, and it just works great for me.

Hmm. I would think there's a way of setting reasonable expectations for return calls. I would think a client that requires a same-day response ought to be paying a lot of money for that privilege. Returning family calls, on the other hand...

I really believe it's also cultural.

I'm in Italy, and it wasn't just family and work, but all kind of random people... People don't like to use email, here, so they call you for anything (like your bank, landlord, whatever).

Also, then don't trust email: the thing that annoyed me the most was that the rare times they chose email, they would also call me to let me know they had sent me an email, to make sure I'd read it...

Go figure.

Re: Life without a cell phone

#40

Post by drivers99 »

He didn't say if he also didn't have a land line, but it was implied by referring people to email and/or skype (although skype has an option to let you pay to have a phone number, doesn't it). One problem I can think of is sites that rely on sending a code to a phone as a second form of authentication, like banks.
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