[Chapter-delegates] Google verification - now excluded an entire country

[William F. Slater, III]

David,

Sorry to hear it.

SUGGESTION:  Use BING.com instead.  You will also get 25 GB of Free
SkyDrive space.

Enjoy!

Best regards,

Bill
William F. Slater, III, PMP
President, ISOC-Chicago
Chicago, IL
United States of America
slater at billslater.com
http://billslater.com
http://billslater.com/career
773 - 235 - 3080 - Home
312 - 758 - 0307 - Mobile


On Thu, April 15, 2010 1:53 pm, David Leeming wrote:
> Hi,
>
>
>
> Google / Gmail accounts now use SMS or Voice call verification. In our
> region, the Pacific Islands, this effectively is excluding everyone from
> creating a new account.
>
>
>
> For example, I just tried again, to create a Gmail account. It just says
> "this country (Solomon Islands) is not supported" and gives no other
> option.
> Looks like a whole country has been excluded!!! Others in the region have
> told me the same experience - Vanuatu for instance.
>
>
>
> This is a blow because we have been building an online community for a
> Youth
> project here (http://isabel-youth.ning.com), using a Google group as an
> online  "community of practice". Even if SMS verification worked, few of
> these people have mobile phones, even fewer of them live in a location
> with
> mobile coverage. Most access a shared/community Internet facility. Voice
> call verification would not be an option either, for same reason and also
> lack of fixed lines in 85% of the country (75% of the country with no
> mobile
> coverage). As calls into the Solomons are amongst the highest in the world
> (it costs over EUR 1 / min to call using a TOIP service) I can't imagine
> voice call verification would be supported anyway. Google would not be
> that
> generous.
>
>
>
> I think this is something ISOC might take up with Google. It is a very
> backward step, creating barriers to access for the most disadvantaged.
>
>
>
> David Leeming
>
> Leeming Consulting, P.O. Box 652, Honiara, Solomon Islands
>
> Tel: +677 747-6396 (m) 24419 (h)
>
> www.leeming-consulting.com
>
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>


-- 
Best regards,

Bill
William F. Slater, III, PMP
Chicago, IL
United States of America
slater at billslater.com
http://billslater.com
http://billslater.com/career
773 - 235 - 3080 - Home
312 - 758 - 0307 - Mobile
312 - 275 - 5757 - FAX & Voicemail