To help with fast, effective communication in the active community groups a specialised sms system was put in place.
The system works as follows: you regiter your cell number and address with us for a pro rata amount (see "Costs" below; web registation will be available shortly) and we check if there's an active group close by that you can link to. We then register your cell no. on the system and the system sends you an sms with the number you will use to send your sms to, plus your code and identifier. Save the number in the sms to your phonebook, not the number the message was sent from. If you "reply" to a message, your message only goes to the person who sent the message. Also remember that your phone number is not automatically included in your message, therefore it is important to always end your message with your identifier.
Only numbers registered on the system will be able to send an sms. Always remember to type the appropriate code, followed by a space, before your message, and your identifier at the end of the message. The identifier is very important: if you need assistance, everybody in your group knows who and where you are.
The following scenario describes the procedure:
You're standing in your garden, and there's a car that looks suspicious to you - sometimes you just pick up a bad vibe :-) Take your cell phone and type a message, giving relevant details, plus your identifying code (you got that from us):
code White Toyota Corolla reg no ABC123GP seen in Margate. Drove past 5 times already. 123abc
You now send this message to the number the system sent you when you were registered. Within a minute or 2, your message is send out to everyone registered on your coded area (including yourself).
In the GPRA area in sector 3, they currently reach nearly 200 people, including their Sector manager at the Police (one of the community members paid her fee). What then happens, differs according to the situation, but frequently, you'll find people switching on outside lights at night, or just going outside and looking around. The infamous "wall hoppers" disappear like a flash when all the lights suddenly go on at 2am!
We've had great success with this system: apart from warnings about beggars, etc., they also found 2 lost parrots (1 visiting from the Free State!), a marmoset monkey and numerous cats and dogs - one was found before its owner knew the poor thing was lost. They also use it to keep their community informed about meetings, etc.
Costs:
New groups:
R60 per cellphone number (of which R6 goes for admin) for the first six months when a new group is started. After 6 months, the usage is assessed and depending on usage, another R60 for the next 6 months. Any money left over in your "kitty" gets carried over the the next timing period.
Joining an existing group:
R60 per cellphone number (of which R6 goes for admin) per year, payable up front every January. If you join after January, a pro rata amount will be payable for the rest of that year. Any money left over in your "kitty" gets carried over the the next year. If, however, your group grows very rapidly, or you use a large number of messages, we will let you know that your credits are running low and you may have to make another payment. Please contact us if you need more details.
New Complexes:
Please contact the Webmaster with your contact details, including your street address.
Joining an existing group in your Complex:
Please contact your Complex Board for details.
For more information or to join, contact your Sector Chairperson, or the Webmaster with your contact details, including your street address.
|
|
