One thing that sucks about leaving my phone on silent mode during work is that I can't tell who's calling without taking the phone out of my pocket to look at it, which will get me fired if I'm caught. I know a lot of phones allow you to create custom ringtones to play when different people call you. Why not let you create custom vibe patterns? When somebody calls you, all you need to do to identify who it is is count the vibes... kinda like Morse Code.-- 21 Quest, Jan 24 2007 You'd get fired for taking your phone out of your pocket? Do you work in a hospital or on a plane or something?-- theleopard, Jan 24 2007 Not so - if it's a pocket in his hat (or better still - terrorist-style balaclava) he can talk on the phone without removing it from said pocket.-- hippo, Jan 24 2007 Would a terrorist get fired if they answered their phone...?-- theleopard, Jan 24 2007 Well the idea is that if it's somebody important I can go to the breakroom and call them back right away.
I work in a call center, actually, where I have access to enough personl information about our customers to buy a Ferrari using somebody else's identity if I chose to. Cell phone's aren't permitted in the workplace, and the information is not permitted to leave the workplace (except, of course, if I memorize it) to keep employees from sending the information out of the office via text/instant message or simply saving it in your phone's notepad.
Of course, we all carry cell phones, but they're not visible so you can't get in trouble.-- 21 Quest, Jan 24 2007 [theleopard] when they're busy, they put their phones into "Destabilising democracy" mode (similar to "Meeting").-- hippo, Jan 24 2007 I thought it might perhaps interfere with any nearby transmitters. Then he really would get fired! Ho ho ho!-- theleopard, Jan 24 2007 could call it: "The Vibes- Rater" +-- xenzag, Jan 24 2007 Yeah. But you can't call long-distance on them, and most of my calls are from out of town.-- 21 Quest, Jan 24 2007 'sgood. +-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jan 24 2007 Sympathies and camaraderie to [21Q] for working in a call centre. I worked in one (for about 3 months, about 10 years ago) and can *still* remember the scripted greeting today! I think it must have been the closest I've ever come to learning what it must be like to be a battery hen. They wired us up and every time you heard a beep in your ear, you'd launch into a preppy rendition of your welcome phrase (you were told off if you weren't "happy" enough) and await the customer's demands. Once complete, the call would terminate, and you'd know that in a few seconds, you'd get another beep to inform you of another one. The staff would hold these long protracted, and ever-interrupted conversations over their desks. "How was your weekend?" "Oh great we...Welcome to ShiteBank Customer Service Centre, How may I help you?..." ... ...... "Yeah, we went to that Oasis concert, it was awes..." "Welcome to ShiteBank Customer Service Centre, How may I help you?..." ... "Oh yeah, cool. Do you fancy a pint lat....Good Morning, Welcome to ShiteBank Customer Service Centre, How May I help You..."
But we didn't have mobile phones in those days, so I don't know about that bit.-- zen_tom, Jan 25 2007 random, halfbakery