“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” - Albert Einstein
20th September 2019 / Issue #336
giffgaff Happenings
by bluemoonbaz
Post Mortem - community problems on 2nd September
As you know, we've had a few issues affecting the community and the members. @alex_w has an update for us: "You might want to go and grab yourself a big cup of tea - this is going to be a big post with lots of technical detail and might take a while to digest. I’ll start with some background information, and then I’ll dive into the specifics". Have a read here and add your comments.
giffgaff is turning 10! Come celebrate with us
giffgaff is nearly 10 years old and they are planning an epic 10th birthday celebration. @kiesha_p says: "To celebrate you, celebrate giffgaff, celebrate us. Regardless of when you joined us, you continue to choose us daily, and this is our chance to say a huge thank you!". The great news is giffgaff want our help with this great event. Firstly, giffgaff want to see who wants to come, so please complete this questionnaire and then give Kiesha some feedback here.
An update about giffgaff pioneers on the community
Some exciting news from @amy_b_d. In the past we only had 2 ways to communicate with our giffgaff pioneers was via email and the Facebook group. Now we can easily bring these discussions on to the community platform as well. Head over a read Amy's full update here and add your comments.
Can we chat with you about your phone usage and apps?
giffgaff's app team would love to have a chat over the phone about how you surf the web and use apps on your mobile. Does this interest you? Sign up here. As a thank you, you'll receive £5 credit into your account.
New community future development prioritisation
Well, it's a busy time for the giffgaff team with a big list of feedback items and features on their to-do list. You can read Alex's full update here.
Our Members' Discussions
Here are a few of our fellow members' recent discussion threads, head over and give your views:
Say Hello!
by kathleen414
Please give our new member @michh16 a big welcome to giffgaff and our fab community. You can find our new friend here.
Our new member @ranahima says: "Hey, I'm now a member of the giffgaff family". Well, it's fab to have you with us <3. Say hello to our new friend here.
Welcome to giffgaff and your fab new community @fieldsclaudia, who joined us recently and is really happy here. Give our newcomer a big hug here.
Lab Highlights
by as7861 and ijustcantdoit
Payback via bank transfer by @justin2877
Our member's idea is about our payback options: Allow users the option of receiving their payback via bank transfer. It’s much more convenient and accessible compared to PayPal, and would work better for those under 18 (giffgaff lets you get payback at 16+, while PayPal is 18+). What do you think? Would this be better than PayPal or maybe another payback option?
Family or Multi-Account Discount by @wombatsteve
Our member's idea is one that has been asked for in different formats over the years. Create a package to incentivise families and groups to bring their phone business to giffgaff. Multi user or family account discounts are offered by many of the competition. Is it time for this change to be brought into play. Give us your views.
Lab Updates
- Holly has let us know that the Labs Platform search is being looked at, in the meantime a fellow member @bill48er has stated to use one word to search for your idea.
- The concept of Unlimited Social Media is being looked into by giffgaff to see if it is something giffgaff can do. Your thoughts?
Photo Of The Week
by brulaw
This week's featured photo is Captive Falcon by @illneverrememberit. Some of the comments included:
- "Now that's a bird of prey! Beautiful!" (m0dcm)
- "Magnificent aren't they" (frenchielove)
- "Beautiful Falcon" (igergus2006)
- "Maybe a Lanna Falcon. Quite impressive, whichever sub-species it is" (cawallbank)
- "Wow, what a really gorgeous falcon and such a lovely shot too thanks" (the_bookie)
Another week and another section of brilliant pictures to appreciate and admire, choosing one doesn't get any easier. Thank you for continuing to click those shutter buttons... Happy snapping everyone.
On This Day In History
by jammydodge
1248 Salisbury Cathedral was consecrated complete with the UK’s tallest church spire (123m/404 ft), the largest cloister and cathedral close and the oldest working clock in the world and the best surviving original copy of the Magna Carta.
2013 The last RAF Vickers VC10 jet fighters finished their final mission, 47 years after they entered active service. They took off from RAF Brize Norton at 10 BST and refuelled several planes in the air before landing 4 and a half hours later.
Tech Developments
by revilo10
Refurbished Phones - An Introduction
As some of you know, I’ve been working for a while to get some phone reviews for you here on Tech Developments. After a few months of coordination and prep, we’re finally there. Over the next month or so, I will be reviewing a few different phones in-depth, and diving into what the phones are actually like to use on a day-to-day basis. Other tech review sites might receive a test model in the post, use it for a couple of hours, then write up their review and send it back. However, I’m doing things properly. I am going to, and I have been, use the phones I review on a daily basis. I’ve completely stopped using my daily driver phone, the Xiaomi Mi 8, and started using these phones. So you know the reviews will be truthful, and honest. The first of these reviews will come next Friday.
There is, however, a twist. giffgaff have kindly supported me with this project by providing me with a range of phones from their impressive library of refurbished phones, and after each review I will detail where you can get the phone through giffgaff (They offer some of the best deals on the market!) and what options are available. The great thing about this is that I can detail what these phones are like after being used by more than one person, and whether I feel like the refurbishment was effective. It is important to note, that although giffgaff are supporting me with this, it does not at all mean that they are influencing anything I say about the devices. Every word I write comes from my own mind and my own experiences of using the devices. The gaff has always been independent and it will stay that way.
Before we start, I think it’s important I cover a few things about the refurbished phones that giffgaff offer. The library of refurbs is huge, and you can take a look for yourself at the huge range of phones on offer. From iPhones and Samsungs to OnePlus’ and Google Pixels, they have it all on offer. Secondly, what do the conditions actually mean? There are 4 main conditions available:
Good - Well-used and will show some signs of wear, such as scratches and your usual bumps. However, they are in a perfectly usable condition and they’ve been looked after well by the refurbishers.
Very good - These phones will still have a few signs of wear, but nothing more than the odd mark from typical everyday use. Again, they are very much usable and are well-treated.
Excellent - These phones will almost be perfect, with only the very odd few light marks. You’d be hard pushed to find any major damage (and if you do, all phones come with a 12-month warranty!), and they should run like new, in pristine condition.
Like new - Although this condition isn’t available on every phone, you’ll find these phones are pretty much perfect. At most these phones will have been used once and then returned. If you compare a new phone and one of these, you’ll struggle to see many differences.
As mentioned above, like new isn’t available on all phones, but there will always be a condition and a phone to suit your budget. Plus, refurbished phones aren’t just kind to your wallet, they’re kind to the environment too! Because more resources aren’t having to be used on making another phone, the packaging and everything that comes in the box, it’s more environmentally friendly to buy a refurbished phone.
Thanks for reading!
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