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Twilio has an incredible API

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Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#41

Post by asmithmd1 »

dickeytk wrote: post #33
nc wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about starting everyone off with a balance of say $5-10, and running it down after the first call with an option to top up via PayPal once over?

Trouble is, without accounts, how can I tell who the originator of a conference is? My goal is to keep the UX as brutally simple as possible. I'm really against having payments get in the way of using the product in ANY way since I feel that this is a problem that needs to be insanely simple and easy since conference calls are always a pain in the ass for some reason.

By the incoming phone number - if they are out of money prompt them for a credit card when they call in

Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#43

Post by corin_ »

hopeless wrote: post #36
johns wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We've got great coverage for voice in countries all over the world: http://www.twilio.com/pricing/international-calling-rates You can both call to those countries and receive calls from them. We also just recently added local numbers in the UK in beta ( http://www.twilio.com/uk-voice ), which is just touching on the surface of what will be coming outside the US. You've got my email now so we can get international cal…

Sorry but a year after I chose Tropo over Twilio, Tropo still wins: Twilio : "Twilio does not offer phone numbers from outside the US and Canada, and you can’t port international numbers to Twilio." http://www.twilio.com/faq/international Tropo : "We offer local numbers in the US and 40 other countries - here's the full list of available countries, note that these are also free for developer accounts" https://www.tro…

That's my issue with Twilio too, I need UK inbound not just outbound - calling US numbers from the UK is (apart from with VoIP phones) pretty expensive.

Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#44

Post by 3pt14159 »

dickeytk wrote: post #21
bryanallen22 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might consider adding something like this: "This meeting cost me $3.45, which I'm paying out of my own pocket. Want to donate that amount? Click the Paypal button below. Thanks! -Jeff"

ooo! I love it! How could I communicate that though? I don't track emails. I COULD send an sms afterwards, but I don't have a good way to figure out who was the originator of the conference call. Maybe I could just put a side note on the page saying how much the average meeting costs and asking for donations there?

Do not do this. Just let it be free for now then build up traffic, call your most active users and see what type of businesses they are and ask them what else you could do to help.

Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#45

Post by antoncohen »

dangrossman wrote: post #40
dickeytk wrote: post #2

I made an entire conference call application in like 2 hours. Not for no reason though, I was unable to find a simple conference calling service. Typing 'simple conference calling' into google comes up with crap like this: http://www.freeconferencecall.com/ Anything good out there? I can't be the first guy to make one.

Aside from old cluttered websites, what's wrong with sites like that? Does the website really matter if all you use it for is to get the number to start a conference call, for free?

>Aside from old cluttered websites, what's wrong with sites like that? Does the website really matter if all you use it for is to get the number to start a conference call, for free?

Everything is wrong with them, they are a scam, it's called "traffic pumping" [1]. Google Voice and other VoIP providers will block calls to those numbers.

Free conference call services like freeconferencecall.com have local US numbers in high tariff rural areas, usually in Iowa (like the 712 area code). To you the call is "free" because you have Free Nationwide Long Distance. But your phone company has to pay ridiculous rates, as if it was a 900 number, like over $1/min. If you don't have free long distance, than you have to pay those rates.

The Local Exchange Carries in those rural areas have contracts with these scam companies, giving them a take of the money. Or the LECs run the scam businesses themselves.

Legitimate businesses and consumers are being ripped off. The legit phone companies are required by law to route your call there, and they are required to pay the ridiculous fees.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_pumping

Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#46

Post by xiaoqinmjj »

dickeytk wrote: post #2

I made an entire conference call application in like 2 hours. Not for no reason though, I was unable to find a simple conference calling service. Typing 'simple conference calling' into google comes up with crap like this: http://www.freeconferencecall.com/ Anything good out there? I can't be the first guy to make one.

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Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#47

Post by ceejayoz »

dickeytk wrote: post #30
patio11 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trouble is offsetting the twilio bill. This is the least hard problem in startup-dom, because Twilio lets you solve Serious Problems for Serious Businesses and they are ecstatic to pay money for them. (P.S. In case it isn't obvious, don't charge based on what you're paying for Twilio. Underlying phone service: cheap. Application logic: expensive.) There are a lot of one-week Twilio applications worth 5 or 6 figures t…

I guess I feel that since it's SO simple and obvious it isn't worth anything. It was more of an itch I wanted to scratch, so I did.

> I guess I feel that since it's SO simple and obvious it isn't worth anything.

There are lots of "simple and obvious" things that aren't. "Hey, this mold kills bacteria." Sometimes, realizing what's simple and obvious is the valuable bit.

Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#48

Post by knotty66 »

dickeytk wrote: post #19
asmosoinio wrote: post #15

The border anti-alias looks odd in Google Chrome (Windows Vista / Chrome 14.0.835.163), works fine in Firefox. http://i.imgur.com/91ahT.png

You are correct. Oddly it looks fine on OSX. Maybe I could just remove the tilt or something? Not sure how to fix it otherwise.

Font rendering too is pretty aliased in Chrome on Windows - but fine in Chrome on OS X, Linux. It's strange that Google would introduce Google Web Fonts and then not make it a priority to bring rendering on Windows Chrome up to a reasonable standard.

Re: Twilio has an incredible API

#49

Post by aaronlerch »

aaronlerch wrote: post #38
johns wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a take on it that uses Twilio Client to allow people to join from the browser as well as the phone http://www.twilio.com/gallery/projects/talkasaur-us I'll see if I can get Aaron in here to give out a few beta codes

Thanks John- I'll give out talkasaur.us codes to anybody who wants one. :) I made it for a twilio contest, and just didn't feel like personally funding the entire Internet's conference calls just yet. :) email me at aaronlerch at gmail for a code. (btw it's currently browser only, but when it goes publicly available it'll be both)

Meh, screw it.

http://talkasaur.us/ access code: "rexy"

Have at it. :)

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