[GPSCC-chat] Google Voice for 408-22-EARTH?

[Spencer B Graves]

Hello, Pablo et al.:  


PABLO:  Did you transfer a land line or cell number to Google Voice in 2011?  The test I did with Google Voice a few days ago invited me to transfer a mobile number.  That made me wonder if it would work with a land line.  I assume it would provided the number belongs to the subscriber and not the phone company.  (If I understand correctly, all mobile numbers and those land line numbers acquired after around 1980 or so are owned by the subscriber.  Earlier numbers may belong to the phone company and may not be transferred.)  


ALL:  Please see Pablo’s comments below.  I’m happy to pay the one-time transfer fee.  If someone else does it, they can either call me and I’ll provide credit card information or they can pay it, send a receipt to Jim Doyle, who will mail you a check, which I will then cover..  


	  Spencer


> On Jan 27, 2015, at 11:55 AM, Pablo Ghenis <pablo at ghenis.com> wrote:
> 
> The phone number would be safe, transferring to Google Voice is as solid as transferring to any other carrier like Sprint, Verizon, etc.  Google charges a one-time transfer fee of $20.  I did this procedure in 2011 and that number still works for me.
> 
> Pablo
> 
> On Mon, Jan 26, 2015 at 9:42 PM, Spencer B Graves <spencer.graves at effectivedefense.org <mailto:spencer.graves at effectivedefense.org>> wrote:
> 	  I believe that phone numbers (in California?) acquired after a certain date belong to the person, not the phone company.  I was told that when we changed phone companies a few years ago:  If we had acquired our phone number before that date, we might not be allowed to keep the number we had.  Fortunately, we were allowed to keep our number, which we had acquired in 1982 or 1984.  This law may not apply to transfers from a land line to Google Voice — or I may have heard incorrectly.  However, Pablo Ghenis said that Occupy San José (OSJ) used Google Voice when they had a camp (and I think he had previously used it personally).  OSJ used it with Google Groups and had the OSJ number forwarded to multiple phones and to different people at different times of day.  
> 
> 
> 	  Step one is to create a gmail account for the Green Party of Santa Clara County.  
> 
> 
> QUESTIONS:  
> 
> 
> 	  1.  What name should we try to use for a gmail account?  How about santaClaraGreens at gmail.com <mailto:santaClaraGreens at gmail.com>?  
> 
> 
> 	  2.  How should we decide to whom to forward this phone number?  We can have it go to multiple people, presumably some of our most active Greens.  Any nominations and / or volunteers?  
> 
> 
> 	  Spencer 
> 
> 
>> On Jan 24, 2015, at 10:32 PM, Gerry Gras <gerrygras at earthlink.net <mailto:gerrygras at earthlink.net>> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> What would stop the phone company from reassigning
>> that number to someone else after some time?
>> (Probably 6 months or a year.)
>> 
>> Gerry
>> 
>> 
>> Spencer B Graves wrote:
>>>   Thursday evening we voted to terminate the $40 per month we’ve been
>>> paying for 408-22-EARTH (408-223-2784 <tel:%28408-223-2784>).
>>> 
>>> 
>>>   Fortunately, with Google Voice (and perhaps other similar services),
>>> we can retain that phone number for free.  The following outlines the
>>> process I’m told works:
>>> 
>>> 
>>>     1.  Create a gmail account for the Green Party of Santa Clara
>>> County, CA.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> *** DO WE ALREADY HAVE ONE?  IF YES, WHO CURRENTLY MANAGES IT?  ASSUMING
>>> WE DON’T WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST WE CALL IT?  Something like
>>> santaClaraGreens at gmail.com <mailto:santaClaraGreens at gmail.com> <mailto:santaClaraGreens at gmail.com <mailto:santaClaraGreens at gmail.com>>?  [I
>>> haven’t tried this, but I might unless I hear a better idea.]
>>> 
>>> 
>>>     2.  Log into our Greens gmail account, then in the same browser, go
>>> to "google.com/voice <http://google.com/voice> <http://google.com/voice <http://google.com/voice>>”.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>     3.  Click “Get a voice number”.  This will open a window with
>>> buttons for “I want a new number”, and “I want to use my mobile number”.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> *** THIS MAY NOT WORK FOR 408-22-EARTH, but I think it’s worth a try.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>   If this doesn’t work, we might find something different that will
>>> work — at something substantially less than $40 per month if not for
>>> free.  Google Voice wants to charge for this, but I think we can get it
>>> for free.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>   Might anyone care to help make this transition?
>>> 
>>> 
>>>   Thanks,
>>>   Spencer
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Pablo Ghenis <pablo at ghenis.com <mailto:pablo at ghenis.com>>
> 408-982-7285 mobile & text

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