Phone numbers and other options

[meganmartin]

In the past I have given out my cell # to others without any issues.
But only do so once I really feel comfortable.
When I am out and about if someone is curious or if I think for whatever reason they would want to contact me to get more information I will hand them a calling card. Although I don’t have my phone number on the card, for obvious reasons.

I’ve notice even within our trans community very few people will take the time to reply to an email much less send one. But they will text or call with more ease. This is lost on me personally I prefer email to texting but that’s just me.

Where am I going with this post. I have been researching other methods such as textnow, google voice and a few other voice services. They seem to issue you a phone number that can be received via your existing cell phone or home phone, with some anonymity.

Has anyone else used these services and have they provided you with ample security and privacy.242735

[Kate Simmons]

I used to give a card out with my name and E-Mail address. If I felt they were interested enough to call me, I wrote my number On the back. A prepared woman always has a pen, notepad and name card. ;):)

[Sammy777]

Two words: Burner Cell

[Janet161]

Try kik. That is a messaging app you can use on your smartphone. It gives you a unique id you can use for messaging without giving out your phone number.:)

[MsVal]

For me, the line between a text message and an email message gets a little fuzzy at the two paragraph point. By three, it really ought to be email, and by ~8 it really ought to be a formatted attachment.

However, there are some things that would not be prudent to say in any kind of permanent way, and some things which really must be said in person.

I can easily understand many people's reluctance to put in writing some things they would comfortably say in personal conversation.

Best wishes
MsVal

[meganmartin]

IF I did it correctly I added a copy of my calling card.

[Ineke Vashon]

You did. Very nice , original card:)

Ineke

[Beverley Sims]

I use the Skype service quite often but I establish good bona fides first.

Usually a meeting and a cup of coffee.

I am not aware that I have left traceable details unless on purpose.

[Ceera]

How interesting! I just did a little testing with Google Voice. I already had a gmail account as Ceera, so I had them assign me a new Google Voice phone number for my area code, and link it to my cell phone. I set it up so inbound calls to my Google Voice number show my Google Voice number as the caller ID, and set my phone so it uses a distinctive ring for that number. That way, I get a warning that the call is someone that expects to talk to Ceera. I also set it so the incoming caller is asked for their name before it connects, and when I get an inbound call, I get to hear that name before actually answering the call. I can then choose to answer, or to listen as they record a voicemail, in a voicemail box provided by the service. My call history still shows me the number they actually called from.

I can receive and reply to texts quite easily. What I see on an inbound text shows their actual number on the inbound caller ID as well as just before the message contents. I don't need to do anything special to reply, and what they see as my number when I send a text reply is my Google Mail number, not my real cell number. But it looks like to initiate a fresh text message (not a reply) and make it seem to be coming from my Google Voice number, I need to do that via a web browser, from the Google Voice web page.

I can initiate an outbound call and have it appear to the recipient to come from my Google Voice number - but I have to first call my own Google Voice number, wait to hear the outgoing voicemail message, and then press *, my PIN, and #, then 2 to get to where it asks me for the number I want to call. Or I can initiate the call via a web browser, from the Google Voice web page, and it will connect both phones.

If you have a smartphone with a web browser, that solves the issue of initiating calls or texts...

So, it seems like the only glitches that may cause you to out yourself with Google Voice would be accidentally initiating a direct call or text from the phone to one of 'your girl's contacts', without jumping through the hoops listed above.

[meganmartin]

Thanks so much tomorrow I'll send you a direct message. Have more questions.

[Ceera]

Thought I would share some more testing results:

I have Google accounts both as Ceera and as my male identity, and I used my Ceera account to set Google Voice up. I asked them to establish a new number in my home area code for me.

It has voicemail, and you can record your own name and outgoing message like any other voicemail system.

On incoming calls, you can choose to have it display the caller's number or your Google Voice number on the caller ID. I set it to display my Google Voice number, so I could make sure all incoming calls had a distinctive ring. I just tested an incoming voice call from my landline, that I allowed to go to voicemail. This is the result...

On my cell phone, I silenced the incoming call's ring and waited for voicemail to pick up. Then on the landline phone I left a message, using a made up name as 'Allan Test', and said, "Hello, this is Allan Test, giving you a check call on your voicemail, so you can see whether the voice transcription works or not. Hope to see you soon, Ceera! Bye."

On the cell phone, I showed 1 missed call, with Ceera's number. I could return that call, which got me to my own voicemail response. Pressing * and then my PIN and then # allowed me to access my voicemail and hear the message. It captured the name that my landline's voicemail is set to use, the message sounded fine, and if I pressed 2 after hearing the voice message to use the feature to return the call, it correctly dialed the number of my landline, and the return call showed on the caller ID of my landline as my Google Voice number. However, I could not use the call history on my phone to call that person back later. That just went to my Google Voice number.

In the website for Google Voice, as well as in my Gmail in box, it also recorded the following text transcript of the call:

"Hello, this is going to test, giving you a check. Call on your voicemail, so you can see whether the voice transcription works or not. Hope to see you sometime soon, sir of but."

As you can see, the transcription of the message certainly wasn't perfect, but it was still pretty much adequate for checking what I missed. The words Google's transcription was uncertain about were grey on the transcript, and did identify the words that it got wrong (as well as a few that it guessed correctly). I could of course call my number and go to voicemail to hear the actual voice message, as described above. The transcript also had the date and time of the call, and the actual number that called me, and links to call or text that person (as my Google Voice identity). It also has a convenient button where I could assign a name to the number and add it to my Contacts in Google.

It has a call screening function for voice calls. If you turn that on, a recorded operator's voice from Google (a nice woman's voice) asks them to say their name when anyone phones you. You get to hear that name before accepting the call! Very handy, so you can be 'in character' when you answer.

I haven't tested yet how it differs if you allow it to show the incoming caller's number instead of your Google Voice number on inbound calls. I am thinking that wouldn't have the distinctive ring, unless I already had that person in my phone's contacts and assigned a special ringtone to them. But as long as I had call screening on, I would still be warned it was coming via Google Voice by the fact that I hear that operator's voice offering the spoken name of the caller.

Also should mention, Google Voice is free for US to US calls, and is only available so far to US Google users. It can be used for making cheap calls to numbers outside the USA, but there is a charge for that. I am pretty sure if I accidentally use it to access a foreign number, and if I don't have cash set aside in my Voice account for the purpose, it will say I don't have sufficient funds to place the call.

[meganmartin]

Ceera,

Thanks again for all your help, hopefully others will find this useful too.

Hugs,