More Blackberry Goodness: Allowing Yourself to be on Call Without Ruining Your Personal Life

This weekend, b5media operations are taking a slight respite for Christmas. While this means I’m off, I can never truly be “off”. However, I’m going to be off as much as possible and don’t want to be tied to my Blackberry for the holidays. Especially since ALL of my email comes in on it. I have several email accounts that go through Gmail for spam filtering and so every thing that comes to me, I am normally aware of even when mobile.

However, it is a slight challenge to allow yourself to be totally free of the leash for a period of days. I have an emergency email address that I want to be painfully aware of during my time off. I want to be able to recieve server alerts or other things that really do demand my attention. I have given select people the email address but I want the Blackberry to be silent except:

• When an email comes to that single address.
• When a text message or phone call comes in (normally not work related).

The way to accomplish this is pretty easy once you know how to do it.

• Login to your BIS account.
• Click on Filters next to your emergency email address.
• Click “Add Filter”
• In the blanks, call your rule EMERGENCY (or whatever) and apply the filter when mail arrives. This will catch ALL mail which, in this case, is what we want. You can filter on specific email addresses or subjects as well. Under Forwarding options, Select “Forward Messages to Handheld” and choose Level 1 notification.
  
• Now, on your hand held, go to the Ring Profiles page. It is simply called Profiles on my 7250.
• Click the wheel and choose “New Profile”
• Under Level 1 Messages, choose your ring options. I make sure that unholstered, it plays a different tone from my normal, SMS and Phone tones. I also ensure that it vibrates when holstered.
• Save and return to the notifications page. Consider making Messages notification quiet.
• Make sure you give it a Name. I call it Emergency.
• Activate this profile under the Ring Profiles page and then go drink beer.

• 
• Stumble it!

About the Author: Aaron Brazell is the lead editor of Technosailor.com and a social media expert. His passion is to see companies and individuals use the internet and web technologies wisely and effectively to promote their brands and companies. He served as Director of Technology at b5media from 2005-2008 and is currently an independent consultant.