SRO, Sprint Relay Online is a service that is offered to make phone calls via the Internet. This new technology makes it possible to eliminate the need for traditional teletype equipment, also known as TTY. All that is needed to make a phone call is the Internet.
Simply connect to www.sprintrelayoline.com and enter in the 10 digit US phone number. Once the person has been connected, the operator will then prompt you to type. A conversation can be had through typing to the person on the other end. The operator will then relay what you type to the person on the telephone. The operator will also type back to you what the person on the telephone says. Sprint Relay is a great service that caters to many different types of people. The hearing impaired often times use this service in order to make phone calls. Without this service, many people that are hearing impaired would not be able to make phone calls. This is also a great way for people to communicate long distance. Long distance phone calls can often times be pricey, however, Sprint Relay Online is a service that is free of charge. This service also caters to those who do not own a telephone, but wish to make a phone call. It is sometimes easier to access a computer in a library, or other recourses, than it is a telephone.
This type of communication is considered a very important web genre because it is unique. There are not too many other web sites that offer this service free of charge. It is utalizing the Internet and new ways of technology to the fullest extent. It was bound to happen at sometime or another considering the other ways that we can communicate through the Internet via; blogging, e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging, etc. This is just one more aspect of communication that is centered around the Internet.
This type of genre can closely be compared to instant messaging. The communication aspect is taking place by both parties at the time time. This is different from e-mail or blogging, where one person will send a message and the other person could wait weeks to recieve the message and respond back. This genre of communciation via the Internet is taking place in real time, like instant messaging. This genre can also be compared to text messaging from a computer to a phone. The only difference is that text messaging from a computer to a phone is one-way communication, while Sprint Relay Online is two-way communication.
I have used SRO a couple of times. However, I am not very familiar with it. I have only used it in times of boredom to call friends. My friends and I have found it to be means of entertainment. It is very entertaining to call someone and type ridiculous things that the operator must then repeat back to the person on the other end. I do believe that this is a great service that I regretfully abuse and use for no good. I have found that the web site is set up in a very user friendly way. I also discovered how easy this web site was to use. It is very easy for first time users to understand the concept. The web site is designed in a simplistic way. There is additional infromation and instructions for those wishing to learn more, but the average user would more than likely be able to use the site without further instruction. The site is free of clutter and advertising, which sometimes makes web sites hard to use. The simplistic design makes this web site stand out from other types of communication genres.
I have found that SRO is an exceptional service that utilizes technology in great links. When used properly, it serves as good means to connect with other people. The only downfall of this service is that it is sometimes awkward to have a telephone conversation with an operator. Another downfall is that many people, such as myself, abuse the service. However, I believe that this is another type of web genre that is helping many people communicate with one another.