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Thread ID: 47036	2004-07-14 00:46:00	Texting Balance Checker	csinclair83 (200)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
252165	2004-07-14 00:46:00	this is kinda OT because it doesnt involve computers (i think) but its pretty technnical... As many of you might know telecom released new text plans to replace its $10 unlimited, and at the same time they released *333 to RING to find text message balance... And since i was deaf i wrote a formal letter of complaint as there was no way for me to find out...and they never replied so i went to the human rights commission, and after a week of complaining i got a reply saying they couldnt do it for some reasons but they were lucky because the same day there was a media release for the starting date of the new relay service (november 15) so they had something for me to use....but i wasnt sasified as it doesnt enable portability, so i asked for reasons why they couldnt do it... telecom says its because of technology or the lack of it to do the job... and the person i speak to at the Human Rights is as surprised as I am regarding why... So can someone here actually say what is involved in this request...as we all know vodafone does it with NO problems....and I know vodafone is a bit mroe advanced in the mobile world because its a mobile only company, no landlines etc etc... I wanna know whats involved in texting a request off mobile phone and getting a response that involves your telecom bill... like text "bal" to 888 and get a reply saying you have sent xxxx texts this month...or something like that...	csinclair83 (200)
252166	2004-07-14 01:22:00	It's all about supply and demand. Any development like that will cost them money, and interfacing to the billing system may not be enough. They may need to change they frequency that they update the billing system from the data collection systems that record customer activity. Is there a web site equivalent? If there was it might be easier to get it in a text message. Of course, Chris, you could suggest they remove the limit for deaf people. That might cost them less than changing their billing system. robo.	robo (205)
252167	2004-07-14 01:48:00	I agree with Robo. What seems just a simple change to a billing system will actually cost several hundred thousand dollars. Or more. Changes such as this have a huge "knock on" effect on other modules and programs. I would pursue the thought of having unlimited texting for deaf people. It would cost Telecom almost nothing, while gaining them good public respect. There would need to be a "qualifying" criteria but that should be easily satisfied. Approach them constructively and not aggressively. Use the NZ Foundation or whatever body exists to back you up if you can.	godfather (25)
252168	2004-07-14 02:22:00	Oh ok, i didnt think it would be that serious because vodafone set it up not that long after the dial 777 one...but therefor vodafone was mobile only...unlike telecom.. with this unlimited texting, and criteria, if i asked you what you would put as the criteria, what would your answer be? ...as remember theres also the hearing impaired who CAN hear a little bit not like the deaf who hear nothing.....so if a hearing impaired person wanted this unlimited plan, what would the answer be...no coz this and this...also i wouldnt say u must have a xx% or less hearing because everyone different... I would think a certificate from someone, not sure if a doctor is appropriate...but from someone to state this person is truly deaf or hearing impaired and would benifet from being on this unlimited plan as a method of communication?....and yeah..but who would be the appropriate person to decide this? I mean i know i would fit the criteria easy, but who would put that in writing for me...and yeah. Also to get the unlimited plan i was thinking, with the certificate they post the ORGINAL to telecom (and keep a copy for urself) and they change the phone from the prepaid plan or whatever they are on before the change, or something like that because i beleive taking it in to the local store is not good, because if they say no or not know about it then thats bad service and there would be angry customers...and thats not good for both the customer and the people that work there, hence why posting is best maybe to a specific address like "Deaf/Hearing Impaired Plans C/- Telecom wellington" or something so it doesnt get lost lol I am going to approach telecom and the deaf foundation or the deaf assoc with my ideas after i've got something together as I want to find all the pros and cons of this before going ahead and try and not have them be able to have a excuse lol....and yeah.	csinclair83 (200)
252169	2004-07-14 03:02:00	The criteria is something for Telecom and the Association to work out, you would not need to worry about it at this stage. First get them to accept the idea of the plan. And having said that, you have already suggested a criteria above. There would need to be a criteria to act as a "filter" to ensure only those that need it can access it. Otherwise all the TXT generation youth would be claiming hearing impairment from listening to loud music and wanting unlimited TXT. I would have thought that entitlement would be quite easy to prove, with a medical recommendation at the simplest level. But, as said, you need to get them to agree first. Thats the challenge.	godfather (25)
252170	2004-07-14 03:08:00	> with this unlimited texting, and criteria, if i asked you what you would put as the criteria, what would your answer be? Definitely people who cannot use the telephone normally. By that I mean they cannot hear anybody, or at least more than 80% of people, on the phone. And when I say "cannot hear" that includes people who can hear a person speaking but not understand what is being said. A signed letter or certificate should be required from an authorised person such as a hearing specialist, audiologist, NZ Deaf Association or Hearing Association counsellor or similar. NOT a GP though, they are not qualified to pass judgement on a person's true hearing ability.	Susan B (19)
252171	2004-07-14 05:01:00	Have you checked in the White Pages; on page seven there is a number under the label "using our special text phone for the deaf". Maybe this means that Telecom already has some sort of plan for deaf people to use?	agent (30)
252172	2004-07-14 05:19:00	godfather and susan..i will read your comments and answer fully tonight when i return from what i require to do...but just wanted to reply to agents posting before i head out.... agent, that is for use of a TTY/TDD device which is like a small computer but sends beeps over the telephone to the other end and the other end has to have a tty/tdd too but in telecoms case i assume they use a computer....and i know we can do it that way but thats pretty much the entire point, why do we have to do something different/harder to do when for a hearing person its as simple as pushing 4 digits and getting a answer within 1-2 minutes... as i can confirm using a tty to commuinicate with telecom can sometimes be like communicating with a alien of a different language... but since theres a relay service coming out november 15 i can only hope the response service is better then. and i know most of us deaf people are usually out and about or working or whatever they do they dont want to have to keep counting the texts they send all day and then come home and ring via tty to confirm them when a hearing person or whoever can use a cellphone can just dial the number while walking down the street and getting the response i'll have to wait till 5-6pm to find out.... i know sometimes people have to do things the hard way to get the same answer someone else can get a easier quicker way but when it comes to texting and money its pretty much now our #2 communication method behind the internet, and 20c a message, us deaf people can actually go through $20 a day before realising it....when i first texted i used to go through $20 then damn i've sent that many texts and now they have 777 on vodafone which was a big help before telecom lured me over with their $10 texting, and i'm not wanting to go back to vodafone due to phone costs etc so yeah...and if ppl say why dont u just change it'd save u money in the long term, i'll say why should i change phones just to get a service that should be provided in a way by telecom, and after what u guys have said that its quite a big thing to add a simple service, i'll think of alternatives and solutions and yeah, speaking of that i'll read susans and godfathers postings when i return tonight...and anyone elses if they post some while i'm off the computer... Cheers Chris Ps i apologise if thers spelling mistakes as no time to re-read and fix or use the spell check function as i'm very late to where i have to go.....	csinclair83 (200)
252173	2004-07-14 09:50:00	Chris Can't your phone track the number of texts and you can reset the counter once a month? Second. I just corresponded with a guy I know in Perth who teaches deaf kids and he said that he didn't think Australia had any special deal for the deaf. Funny, he didn't seem to think they needed any special deal (which surprised me). Anyway, do your best. robo.	robo (205)
252174	2004-07-14 10:54:00	Susan B.. I do feel for CS.I have a 32% hearing loss as agreed with an audio specialist of ACC's choice & ACC.. I have a digital aid in each ear. I am also one of those who can hear a person speaking but not understand all they say Apparently I get 5 to 6 words out of 10. So I can relate to CS. It was explained to me like this, but better than this. Imagine a field of corn, on one side boundary a row of tall poplar trees. In a gentle wind, blowing towards the trees, you can see the corn moving gently, no corn is blown down. The trees are also affected by the wind. ( This is where I lose it a bit, memory!!) As the corn moves it "transmits" thro the roots to the tree, which amplify the movement up the tree.. Ok now for a jump in your imagination. The corn are fine hairs behind the eardrum, connected to trees/nerves into the brain. The eardrum is the wind across the corn. So if the wind blows hard across the corn, some of it will get blown flat. It will not stand up when the wind stops. In the ear, with any loud noise, some of the fine hairs are damaged the same as the corn is. Continuous exposure to loud noise kills off more & more hairs. Causing a hearing problem which cannot be reversed, Deafness. This is how it was explained to me by my adiologist, her spoken version will be clearer than this one. PJ	Poppa John (284)
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