HomeAnnouncement mailing list / cell phone SMS list
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Announcement mailing list / cell phone SMS list
kalak Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:01 pm
(For history, go to https://acvt.forumotion.com/t311-sunday-november-25th#2890)
tl;dr:
1. e-mail list (email to SMS)
2. how / who to send to that list (SMS to email or web browser / smart phone)
3. Software to manage subscriptions
I was thinking about how to get announcements, like cancellations or delays out to people without everyone checking in the forum and the only thing I've come up with is to have an announcements e-mail list. Most carriers allow their phones to receive SMS messages via e-mail. For example: 5402316000@vtext.com will send a message to the phone number 540-231-6000 (well, that's VT's switchboard, but you get the idea). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SMS_gateways
I can set up a mailing list that can only be posted to by admins, and we can subscribe those kind of SMS to email addresses (or regular e-mail addresses). Then messages sent by admins to that list can go to those who have opted in to receive messages. So a cancellation can be sent by an admin to the mailing list, and it will go to everyone. However, the admin sending the message would have to have access to a web site for this to work, or would have to do something like http://support.google.com/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=160203 (but this means anyone with the phone number could post)
Then the question to follow this is one of implementation. Mailman is a mailing list I run for work, so this is simple enough for me to install and create a list. Subscribing phones would have to be done by an admin, as phone can't "opt in" via e-mail to SMS. (Smart phones can do e-mail not e-mail to SMS, so I'm not treating them as anything but a normal e-mail client.)
An alternative could be that I write a quick web app that someone can enter a PID/password (so a spammer doesn't sign everyone up to junk) and then if they're an admin, they can send a message, or if they're not, then can enter an e-mail address (including a e-mail to SMS address). This is more complex, as I have to write something, but it's not a big deal, as the interface can be simple. Of if they don't have a PID, then they have to be manually subscribed, but we're a VT club, so that's probably not a common occurrence.
Thoughts? I'd especially like those who are most likely to send announcements to speak up on this.
tl;dr:
1. e-mail list (email to SMS)
2. how / who to send to that list (SMS to email or web browser / smart phone)
3. Software to manage subscriptions
I was thinking about how to get announcements, like cancellations or delays out to people without everyone checking in the forum and the only thing I've come up with is to have an announcements e-mail list. Most carriers allow their phones to receive SMS messages via e-mail. For example: 5402316000@vtext.com will send a message to the phone number 540-231-6000 (well, that's VT's switchboard, but you get the idea). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SMS_gateways
I can set up a mailing list that can only be posted to by admins, and we can subscribe those kind of SMS to email addresses (or regular e-mail addresses). Then messages sent by admins to that list can go to those who have opted in to receive messages. So a cancellation can be sent by an admin to the mailing list, and it will go to everyone. However, the admin sending the message would have to have access to a web site for this to work, or would have to do something like http://support.google.com/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=160203 (but this means anyone with the phone number could post)
Then the question to follow this is one of implementation. Mailman is a mailing list I run for work, so this is simple enough for me to install and create a list. Subscribing phones would have to be done by an admin, as phone can't "opt in" via e-mail to SMS. (Smart phones can do e-mail not e-mail to SMS, so I'm not treating them as anything but a normal e-mail client.)
An alternative could be that I write a quick web app that someone can enter a PID/password (so a spammer doesn't sign everyone up to junk) and then if they're an admin, they can send a message, or if they're not, then can enter an e-mail address (including a e-mail to SMS address). This is more complex, as I have to write something, but it's not a big deal, as the interface can be simple. Of if they don't have a PID, then they have to be manually subscribed, but we're a VT club, so that's probably not a common occurrence.
Thoughts? I'd especially like those who are most likely to send announcements to speak up on this.
kalak- Posts : 49
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