Switchboards

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The Internet is the easiest way for us to distribute information at this time, your website should always include a FAQ or frequently asked questions section so people will not need to call in. Running a phone switchboard might be an option for a large operation and lots of activists who are unable to do direct actions. You might look into getting an 800 number so you can do national service, most VOIP services can also get this for you. An asterisk server is an inexpensive open source way to route phone calls if you need to make a call center, even for a short time.

see Free Telephones#Your own Phone Company

To save money you can run an IRC (Internet relay chat) server or use instant messenger. All of these centralized communication options are great for marches and community events but should Never be used for anything even slightly illegal. Remember that you can expect a cop tracing, listening or watching, and recording every bit of telephone and network traffic at a radical switchboard. Be sure to include Security Culture when training your switchboard staff.

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Original SWITCHBOARDS

A good way to quickly communicate what's coming down in the community is to build a telephone tree. It works on a pyramid system. A small core of people are responsible for placing five calls each. Each person on the line in turn calls five people and so on. If the system is prearranged correctly with adjustments made if some people don't answer the phone, you can have info transmitted to about a thousand people in less than an hour. A slower but more permanent method is to start a Switchboard. Basically, a Switchboard is a central telephone number or numbers that anybody can call night or day to get information. It can be as sophisticated as the community can support. The people that agree to answer the phone should have a complete knowledge of places, services and events happening in the community. Keep a complete updated file. The San Francisco Switchboard (see below) puts out an operator's manual explaining the organization and operation of a successful switchboard. They will send it out for 12¢ postage. San Francisco has the longest and most extensive Switchboard operation. From time to time there are national conferences with local switchboards sending a rep. San Francisco

THE SWITCHBOARD - 1830 Fell St., San Francisco, Calif. 94117 (415) 387-3575
MUSIC SWITCHBOARD - 1826 Fell St., San Francisco, Calif. 94117 (415) 387-8008
MISSION SWITCHBOARD - 848 14th St., San Francisco, Calif. 94110 (415) 863-3040
CHINATOWN EXCHANGE - 1042 Grant Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94108 (415) 421-0943
THE HELP UNIT - 86 3rd St., San Francisco, Calif. 94103 (415) 421-9850
WESTERN ADDITION SWITCHBOARD - Fell & Fillmore, San Francisco, Calif. (415) 626-8524

California

CHICO SWITCHBOARD - 120 W. 2nd St., Chico, Calif. (916) 342-7546
EAST OAKLAND SWITCHBOARD - 2812 73rd Ave., Oakland, Calif. (415)569-6369
MARIN MUSIC SWITCHBOARD - 1017 "D" St., San Rafael, Calif. (415) 457-2104
WEST OAKLAND LEGAL SWITCHBOARD - 2713 San Pablo, Oakland, Calif. (415) 836-3013
SWITCHBOARD OF MARIN - 1017 "D" St., San Rafael, Calif. (415) 456-5300
BERKELEY SWITCHBOARD - 2389 Oregon, Berkeley, Calif. (415) 549-0649
SANTA CRUZ SWITCHBOARD - 604 River St., Santa Cruz, Calif. (408) 426-8500
PALO ALTO XCHANGE - 457 Kingsley Ave., Palo Alto, Calif. (415) 327-9008
SAN JOSE SWITCHBOARD - 50 S. 4th St., San Jose, Calif. (408) 295-2938
SANTA BARBARA SWITCHBOARD - 6575 Seville, Isla Vista, Calif. (805) 968-3564
EUREKA SWITCHBOARD - 1427 California, Eureka, Calif. (707) 443-8901 & 443-8311
UC DAVIS SWITCHBOARD - (on campus), UC Davis, Calif. (916) 752-3495

Other Western States

TURNSTILE - 1900 Emerson, Denver, Colorado (303) 623-3445
BLACKHAWK INFORMATION CENTER - 628 Walnut St., Waterloo, Iowa (319) 234-9965
TAOS SWITCHBOARD - c/o Gen. Del., Taos, New Mexico (505) 758-4288
PORTLAND SWITCHBOARD - 1216 SW Salmon, Portland, Oregon (503) 224-0313
HOUSTON SWITCHBOARD - 108 San Jacinto, Houston, Texas (713) 228-6072
YOUTH EMERGENCY SERVICE - 623 Cedar Ave. So., Minneapolis, Minn. (612) 338-7588

Eastern States

POWELTON TROUBLE CENTER - 222 N. 35th St., Phila., Penna.. (215) 382-6472
WASHINGTON D.C. SWITCHBOARD - 2201 P St. NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 667-4684
MIAMI CENTER FOR DIALOG - 2175 NW 26th St., Miami, Fla. (305) 634-7741
CANTERBURY HOUSE - 330 Maynard S, Ann Arbor, Michigan (313) 665-0606
THE LISTENING EAR - 547 E. Grand River, East Lansing, Michigan (517) 337-1717
THE ECSTATIC UMBRELLA - 3800 McGee Kansas City, Missouri (816) 561-4524
OPEN CITY - 4726 3rd St., Detroit, Michigan (313) 831-2770
SWITCHBOARD INC. - 1722 Summit St., Number 6, Columbus, Ohio (614) 294-6378
HELP - c/o Marby Beil, 1708 E. Lafayette, Number 5, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (414) 273-5959
UNITED CHURCH PRESBYTERIAN - 181 Mount Horeb Rd., Warren, N.J. (201) 469-5044
BOSTON SWITCHBOARD - 45 Bowdoin St., Boston, Mass. (617) 246-4255
PROJECT PLACE - 37 Rutland St., Boston, Mass.(617)267-5280
BEVERLY SWITCHBOARD - Beverly Hospital, Beverly, Mass. (617) 922-0000
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ACTON - 8 Concord Rd., Acton, Mass. (617) 263-3940
HALF WAY HOUSE - 20 Linwood Sq., Roxbury, Mass. (617) 442-7591
ACID - 13 Linden Ave., Malden, Mass. (617) 342-2218
PROJECT ASSIST - 945 Great Plain Ave., Needham, Mass. (617) 444-1902& 3
LEXINGTON - ARLINGTON HOT LINE - 1912 Mass. Ave., Lexington, Mass. (617) 862-8130&1
COMMUNITY YOUTH COMMISSION - 945 Great Plain Ave., Needham, Mass. (617) 444-1795
HOT LINE - 429 Cherry St., West Newton, Mass. (617) 969-5906

Other Countries

Bit - Formerly at 141, then 143 Westbourne Park Rd., London W2 or W11, UK. Correct phone number was 01-229 8219/0. Folded in about 1977/78.
CANADIAN SWITCHBOARD - 282 Rue Ste. Catherine, West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (514) 866-2672

For a complete and up-to-date list of switchboards and similar projects around the country, write to San Francisco Switchboard. They need 25 cents to cover postage costs.