I have been trying to move people over to my google voice number for a few months now, but after all that effort, I might be ready to throw in the towel, or at least put my migration efforts on hold for a while.
Pros
I like that if I'm at work and I want to text someone, I can type them a text in the Google voice web interface rather than type it on the iPhone keyboard.
I like that I can set up schedules to have my phone ring my work phone during office hours and my cell phone at all times.
I like the concept of the google voicemail transcription, although my experience with it has been limited, as sometimes my AT&T voicemail will pick up first, and the few times I have seen it, the transcription was not available.
Cons
I really hate their mobile web interface. I know the iPhone app got rejected, but still... Google is a web company right? Why can't they have a decent mobile web site for Google voice?
I am in a flux state where people know both of my numbers and just will randomly pick one or the other. I would have everyone move over to the Google number, EXCEPT:
Dealbreakers
The Cons section is only the minor inconveniences. The real dealbreakers are the complete functionality gaps, which don't even tell you that they're failing. Namely:
International SMS is a complete crapshoot. Some countries you can SMS, some you can't. However, if you try to SMS someone in another country that is not supported, you don't get any kind of feedback at all.
MMS just doesn't work. You don't get a message that it failed. The person doesn't get a notice that they were supposed to receive a video or picture. Nothing. I don't even use MMS myself, but I'm not comfortable with the fact that someone might send me one with the assumption that I'll see it or even know about it, and I'll know nothing about it.
Anyway, Google Voice is a great idea, but the telco system is just a complex mess that is not currently navigable with this solution at this time. Maybe next year.
The Weird World Of Pan Am Stewardess Training In 1969
25 minutes ago

No comments:
Post a Comment