Information for Teleconference Participants

Teleconference leaders may want to e-mail the following information to participants.

Basic Instructions

Call Waiting. If you have call-waiting, you must first disable it before dialing into the teleconference. Bridges can become unusable for days if someone "flashes" over to check another call. For most local phone companies, you can disable call-waiting by picking up the phone, waiting for the dial tone, dialing *70 (that's star seven zero), waiting for the dial tone again, and then dialing the bridge number.

Calling in on Time. Please dial the teleconference number at the appointed time. You will be connected to the other callers automatically without dialing any further numbers.

All reservations on our system are made in the Eastern Time zone. Please make sure you have the correct time for your time zone. If you are given the time for your call in the Eastern time zone and you are unsure of how that converts to your time zone, go to http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/. Also, use this site to synchronize your clock so that you will call in on time.

What you will hear. Some bridges require a PIN (personal identification number). If so, you will hear a recording say something like "Please enter your conference PIN number followed by the pound sign (#).

On most bridges, those already connected will hear a short tone when you join the call, and the call leader will usually say something like, "Hi, who just joined the call?" or "Welcome, hold on a moment while everyone joins the call." If you're late, the leader may not acknowledge you. That doesn't mean you're not welcome. Just listen silently until you catch up with the meeting topic before speacking.

In general, please say your name before speaking so that people will have no difficulty identifying you.

If Something Goes Wrong

If the phone rings but won't connect, one of two things has occurred. You might have mis-dialed, or your timing is off. Check the number and redial. If still no success, then check the time. The usual convention is to state meeting times in Eastern Time (New York Time). To find the time for your own time zone within North America:

If you receive a busy signal, it means that you either mis-dialed, or the teleconference bridge is full. Check the number and dial again. If you still receive a busy signal, then the bridge is full and is likely to remain full for the duration of the teleconference.

If the phone rings and you receive a recorded message saying something like "All circuits are busy, please try your call again later," or if you receive a fast busy signal, it means that not enough long distance lines are available to connect you to the teleconference. This sometimes happens between the hours of 7PM and 11PM Eastern Time. If you use a 10-10 Number, your call can be re-routed. It is best for you to call your long-distance carrier to get their 10-10 number, because if you use your own carrier's 10-10 number, you are charged the same rate.

You can visit the web site http://www.10-10phonerates.com/state.html for additional 10-10 numbers.

Telebridge Tidbits for a Successful Call

Like any form of communication, teleconferencing involves rules of etiquette. Don't worry, you'll learn quickly! But the following suggestions should help you feel at home from the start.

1. Mute Button. Use your telephone's mute button, if there is one. Background noise, the dog barking, radio, etc., could be a problem for the other participants. If you don't have a mute button, don't worry. Just try to call from a quiet location.
   
   
2. Breathing. Some people breathe 'heavier' than others. Most of the heavy breathers don't realize it. (Who, ME?) So, we ask everyone to hold the mouthpiece or telephone headset microphone a bit away from their mouth and nose, unless they are speaking. This sounds pretty silly, but when you're on a call with a heavy breather, you'll understand why it matters!
   
   
3. 2-line phones. If you have a two-line phone, please turn the ringer off of the second line. If you don't, and you get a call during the TeleClass, it can really be a shrill noise that everyone hears.
   
   
4. Pets. If you're on a smaller TeleConference (like 10-30 callers), your dog will probably woof at exactly the time needed for some comic relief, so it's not usually a problem. But if you're on a larger TeleConference (30-200 callers), please put pets in another room.
   
   
5. Speakerphones, Cell phones, Cordless phones, Computer Telephony, and sometimes Headsets. Please don't use them. Speakerphones are wonderful things, but we ask that you not speak into them when sharing. Pick up the handset when you share and put the mute button on when you're just listening. The clarity/quality simply isn't good enough on all of these types of phones.
   
   Cell phones and cordless phones can cause noise that everyone else will hear.If the only phone you have is cordless, stay close to the base unit. Cell phones are affected by atmospheric conditions and satellite problems as well as crossed signals, all of which can affect the bridge quality for everyone involved.
   
   Computer-based dial-ups into bridges are not supported by telebridge. Use of this technology can cause noise, distortion and static and can make bridges unusable, sometimes for days.
   
   Headsets save aching necks and free your hands for taking notes. However, if there is a problem with noise, sometimes it is caused by a faulty headset. In the case of a noisy call, we recommend that you switch to your handset to see if this alleviates the problem. Also, make sure your headset batteries are fresh!
   
   
6. Sharing. The leader will usually ask for callers to share or respond, throughout the call. However, please wait to be prompted -- don't just speak up, unless invited. If/when you do share, say something like, "Thomas (or the leader's name), this is Bob from Tampa." The Instructor will say, "Yes, Bob, go ahead." Then you can say whatever you'd like to. Always use the leader's name and wait until they respond, indicating that you can proceed. On smaller calls this formality isn't usually needed and there is a natural flow to people sharing and discussing.
   
   
7. CrossTalk. If another caller says something that you want to comment on or ask more information about, go through the leader, don't speak to the person directly, at least at first. Let the leader play traffic cop. You could say something like, "Thomas, can I ask that Marlene rephrase the point she just made?" Again, on smaller calls, this isn't as necessary, but on the large calls, it really is.
   
   
8. Early/Late. Please don't call the bridge before the scheduled time -- another conference may be in session. If you're late to the call, no problem, just dial in and be silent until you catch on to what's being discussed. The leader may or may not officially welcome you -- but probably won't so as not to disturb the flow of the call. That doesn't mean you're not welcome! And, finally, if you're more than 10 minutes late, be really careful about asking questions, as they may well have been asked earlier.
   
   
9. Disconnections. If you get disconnected, all is not lost! Simply call back into the bridge. Sometimes it is the bridge itself, and sometimes a temporary break in your long distance service causes a drop to occur.
   
   
10. Audiotaping. Participants may not audiotape the TeleClasses. First, it's illegal unless everyone has given permission. Secondly, there might be intellectual property involved. If the Leader is taping a call, s/he must let everyone know at the beginning of the call.