[OPEN-ILS-DEV] Normalization of e-mail addresses and phone numbers in patron data

[Jason Etheridge]

> Jason Etheridge has done some work with SMS messages already, although for a
> different purpose (texting lists of call numbers from the OPAC, as I
> understand it) that can been seen in the working repo in the
> collab/phasefx/sms_msgs branch.  It includes work to do the conversion from
> phone number to SMS gateway address for many common North American mobile
> providers.

I haven't put a pullrequest on its launchpad entry yet either, in case
we need to do any drastic reworking of it.

> If I understand the second half of your paragraph above, however, your
> mapping table idea would only apply if we agree to store SMS contact
> information as e-mail addresses, rather than phone numbers, correct?

I think that's a bad idea if true.  Never know when these gateway
thingies might change, or when someone may decide to wire in a 3rd
party SMS service to use instead of free e-mail gateways.  Sending
information to arbitrary email addresses could be another feature
worth developing (if folks are willing to risk the spamming of cell
phones, there shouldn't be anything wrong with email).  So for
example, in the sms_msgs branch, right now we're putting (SMS) links
next to call numbers.   That could evolve into (Send) or (Action)
links that include options for SMS, email, Facebook Like, Google +1,
etc.

And then maybe format options could be made available as well (Full,
Brief, Concise, etc.)

-- 
Jason Etheridge
 | Equinox Software, Inc. / Your Library's Guide to Open Source
 | phone:  1-877-OPEN-ILS (673-6457)
 | email:  jason at esilibrary.com
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