Conference calls

Axe_meister

How many of you use conference call facilities such as Webex/Skype, etc?

One pain the the butt for me as I'm always on the move is remembering the PIN number. So I click on the conference call number, then have to input the meeting ID (which I have forgotten). So it's then back to email/calendar, just a hassle.
Why can't modern phones just dial the number and append the Meeting Id to the end so you are straight into the call.
Would make meetings when driving much much safer

PC_Dave

Axe_meister;76866" said:

How many of you use conference call facilities such as Webex/Skype, etc?

One pain the the butt for me as I'm always on the move is remembering the PIN number. So I click on the conference call number, then have to input the meeting ID (which I have forgotten). So it's then back to email/calendar, just a hassle.
Why can't modern phones just dial the number and append the Meeting Id to the end so you are straight into the call.
Would make meetings when driving much much safer

You know it's illegal to use your phone when driving, right?

Axe_meister

Not illegal if you are hands free, hence single number dial requirement.

PC_Dave

Axe_meister;1095267" said:

Not illegal if you are hands free, hence single number dial requirement.

Still illegal - even if you're hands free you can get done for using your phone. Realistically you should only be using the hands free option to tell the person that you will pull over and take their call in a safe place.

chillidoggy

I hate them with a passion.

Axe_meister

According to gov.co.uk

Using hands-free devices when driving
You can use hands-free phones, sat navs and 2-way radios when you’re driving or riding. But if the police think you’re distracted and not in control of your vehicle you could still get stopped and penalised.

PC_Dave

Axe_meister;1095274" said:

According to gov.co.uk

Using hands-free devices when driving
You can use hands-free phones, sat navs and 2-way radios when you’re driving or riding. But if the police think you’re distracted and not in control of your vehicle you could still get stopped and penalised.

Yep, and you should be stopped. Anyone who is stupid enough to carry out a conference call while driving deserves to be stopped and penalised. In my humble opinion.

Axe_meister

I've been doing it for 20 years and you'll probably find 10s of thousand of people doing it very day.
Most business is done that way these days.

PVO_Dave

Axe_meister said:

How many of you use conference call facilities such as Webex/Skype, etc?

One pain the the butt for me as I'm always on the move is remembering the PIN number. So I click on the conference call number, then have to input the meeting ID (which I have forgotten). So it's then back to email/calendar, just a hassle.
Why can't modern phones just dial the number and append the Meeting Id to the end so you are straight into the call.
Would make meetings when driving much much safer

There are apps for Android and Windows phones that pull meeting info from your calendar and let you join those conferences with a couple of clicks. 

On my work Windows phone I use InstantMeeting by Plantronics, works quite well

richardhomer

chillidoggy;1095272" said:

I hate them with a passion.

So do I - though preferable to meetings....

PC_Dave

Axe_meister;1095283" said:

I've been doing it for 20 years and you'll probably find 10s of thousand of people doing it very day.
Most business is done that way these days.

Well, I think it's utter bollocks. If you think you are in control of your car while you're on a conference call you're living in a dream world. You should have your license taken off you. I've seen the aftermath of road traffic collisions where a driver was on the phone, and let me tell you, no matter how much "business" was achieved on that call, it really is not worth it. Especially to the families of the people who die. Dark, maybe, but true.

Axe_meister

It is no different to talking to the wife/kids/mates in the same car. In fact my eyes stay on the road rather than turning to the person next to me far fewer distractions.

thecolourbox

If you say so

thomasross20

Webex yeah - also have to look at the calendar email for the number

PolarityMan

I do agree that people attending conference calls in cars should be pulled over by police....unless they also know hos to use their mute button.

Headphones

A regular part of business - but not usually mobile; the extra noise winds everyone up quickly and they get told to "go away".

Had a fun experience on a video conference recently.  Worked out that the resolution was so low that we couldn't see what was on the tables.  This led to a game of naughts & crosses with marker pens on A4 sheets.  The other end though we were being very dilligent with the note taking.

BigMonka

Yeah i seem to be spending more and more of my time in conference calls, although mostly from my desk. We use Microsoft Lync (now called Skype for Business) which integrates with Outlook (and Office 365) brilliantly - you just click on the link in outlook and it dials you straight into the call including things like screen sharing.

Axe_meister

I wouldn't use screen sharing whilst driving.

Adam_MD

PC_Dave;1095291" said:

[quote="Axe_meister;1095283"]I've been doing it for 20 years and you'll probably find 10s of thousand of people doing it very day.
Most business is done that way these days.

Well, I think it's utter bollocks. If you think you are in control of your car while you're on a conference call you're living in a dream world. You should have your license taken off you. I've seen the aftermath of road traffic collisions where a driver was on the phone, and let me tell you, no matter how much "business" was achieved on that call, it really is not worth it. Especially to the families of the people who die. Dark, maybe, but true. [/quote]

How is using hands free to talk on the phone anymore distracting than talking to someone else in the car?

Axe_meister

I see the rozzers on the blower all the time, whilst eating donuts and drinking coffee

UnclePsychosis

Adam_MD said:

PC_Dave;1095291" said:

[quote="Axe_meister;1095283"]I've been doing it for 20 years and you'll probably find 10s of thousand of people doing it very day.
Most business is done that way these days.

Well, I think it's utter bollocks. If you think you are in control of your car while you're on a conference call you're living in a dream world. You should have your license taken off you. I've seen the aftermath of road traffic collisions where a driver was on the phone, and let me tell you, no matter how much "business" was achieved on that call, it really is not worth it. Especially to the families of the people who die. Dark, maybe, but true. [/quote]

How is using hands free to talk on the phone anymore distracting than talking to someone else in the car?

Speaking for myself---When I'm working, people regularly ask me questions that require serious thought. There's no way I could control a vehicle safely and "work" at the same time. Either the work would suffer or the driving would. Either way it makes the call pointless.