FAQ
What is the Viewz Hotline?
An all-text q&a hotline.
Why does the Viewz Hotline exist?
To help bridge the communication gap between online social bubbles.
The Viewz Hotline is currently undergoing beta testing between online social bubbles at the University of Texas at Austin.
Is the Viewz Hotline affiliated with the University of Texas?
No, the Viewz Hotline is an unofficial q&a hotline created & operated by a UT alum.
What's a q&a hotline?
A q&a platform that specializes in q&a exchanges between people in different social bubbles.
How do people in different social bubbles engage in q&a exchanges on the Viewz Hotline?
One anonymous CALL at a time.
What's a CALL?
An attempt to see different points of view using a single, brief question.
What does 'CALL' stand for?
Curiosity as an Abbreviated Looking Lens
How do you make a CALL on the Viewz Hotline?
By requesting to see more viewz on any question with less than 100 characters.
What happens after a question becomes a CALL?
Any Viewer can add their view and/or more requests for viewz to it.
What are viewz?
Anonymous points of view summarized in less than 100 characters each.
Who are Viewerz?
Anonymous people on the Viewz Hotline who answer CALLs with a personal view from inside their social bubble.
Can a CALL have multiple viewz added to it?
Yes.
Can a CALL have multiple requests for viewz added to it?
Yes.
What happens if a CALL receives a lot of viewz?
You can switch connections on the CALL and easily explore viewz from different perspectives.
What's a community connection?
An open line of communication on the Viewz Hotline to a community whose experience gives them an interesting perspective.
What do community connections do?
Link together Viewerz from the same community so they can receive and answer CALLs together anonymously on the Viewz Hotline.
How does a Viewer join a connection for one of their communities?
By linking to it.
What happens when a community links together with a connection on the Viewz Hotline?
Their anonymous viewz are shown together on CALLs and any CALL that receives a request for their viewz will be forwarded to them.
What's the benefit of linking to a community connection?
People who are outside your social bubble and curious about your perspective can see your anonymous view on things.
When does a connection grant access to viewz from its Viewerz?
Once 3 Viewerz who are linked to the same connection answer the same CALL, their viewz will automatically be granted on that CALL.
What kinds of connections can be found on the Viewz Hotlinebeta?
A connection can be added to the Viewz Hotline to reach any student community at UT that has viewz from an interesting perspective.
What does a connection's status mean?
unclaimed - The connection has no linked Viewerz available to respond to CALLs.
incomplete - The connection has 1 or 2 linked Viewerz answering CALLs, but not enough to grant access to their viewz.
active - The connection has 3 or more linked Viewerz who can grant access to their viewz on any CALL by adding 3 viewz to it.
What happens after a request for viewz is added to a CALL?
It's anonymously forwarded to the connection that received the request and then relayed to the Viewerz who are linked to it.
What are the different responses a connection can give a CALL?
*crickets* - None of the connection's linked Viewerz have answered that CALL, yet.
on hold.. - 1 or 2 of the connection's linked Viewerz have already answered that CALL, but not enough to grant access to their viewz.
granted - 3 or more of the connection's linked Viewerz have answered that CALL and granted access to their combined viewz.
Why does it take 3 Viewerz to grant access to viewz on a CALL?
To increase privacy.
How big is privacy on the Viewz Hotline?
Very big.
Hotline Rule #3: All CALLs & viewz must be shared anonymously.
What are all the Viewz Hotline rules?
Hotline Rule #1: Be curious.
Hotline Rule #2: Be considerate.
Hotline Rule #3: Be anonymous.
What does a CALL's status mean?
*ringing* - 0 Viewerz have answered it.
waiting - 1 or 2 Viewerz have answered it with their view, but they're waiting on a 3rd.
picked up - 3 or more Viewerz have answered that CALL and granted access to their viewz.
What does it mean if a CALL has green in its border?
What's an icebreaker CALL?
The CALL a connection's linked Viewerz use to get to know newly linked Viewerz.
How is a connection's icebreaker chosen?
The CALL with the most requests from the connection's linked Viewerz for their own viewz becomes their icebreaker.
What's a dial code?
The URL needed to access different parts of the Viewz Hotline with a web browser.
What's needed to join the Viewz Hotline, right now?
Access to 1800viewz.com and a verifiable utexas.edu email account.
How many extensions are on the Viewz Hotline?
The Viewz Hotline currently has 1 extension available: x/UTAustin
Why is a hotline for talking to interesting people in different social bubbles debuting exclusively at the University of Texas at Austin?
What starts here changes the world.
