Dear All: As you know, there were issues with dialouts for the most recent conference call on the 26th. In large part, this is due to the fact that dialouts were requested less than 24 hours (indeed in some cases much less than 24 hours) before the call. This in turn was probably due at least partly to the fact that the reminder of the call was issued rather close to the call date. In future, we will ensure that all call reminders are published a week in advance. At that point, we will ask you to either use the web form at the time of the call to have an automated dial out performed, or to ask us to have a dialout performed - but in order to act on a request to have the service dial out to you which is NOT made using the web form we will need to receive this not less than 48 hours before the start time of the meeting. Note that using the web form to request a dial out at the meeting start time is highly preferred - in no small measure because this is more convenient for you. This allows you to have the service dial out to you at the number of your choice at the start of the meeting. A few reminders in order to ensure call audio quality: 1. Do not call in, or ask the service to call you, on mobile telephones. If you cannot be indoors when a teleconference is going on, it is better to send your apologies, as the level of noise that a mobile telephone call causes when out of doors, especially in urban environments usually greatly degrades the call for everyone. In addition, the harmonics of mobile telephony on teleconferences tends to degrade the line for everyone even when indoors. 2. Do not use Skype or VoIP telephony to call into the conference - or ask the service to dial out to you on a SkypeIn number. VoIP and teleconferences cause real problems with the audio, often causing very serious echoing for multiple participants. 3. Please mute yourself when you are on the call if you are not speaking. This of course prevents ambient noise from affecting the calls - On our service, mute is turned on with *6, and turned off with *7. 4. Most speakerphones (especially less expensive ones) are designed in such a way that they can also negatively impact teleconference quality. If you are going to use one, please put yourself on mute when listening, and pickup the receiver when speaking. I hope this is all useful - do let me know if you have any questions or thoughts. -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director for At-Large Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Main Tel: +33 (450) 40 46 88 USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +41 (22) 594-85-44 Mobile: +41 (79) 595 54-68 email: nick.ashton-hart@icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart@hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart@mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart