OT: Google Voice question.

[joe at actionline.com]

> I think you misunderstand what Google Voice is.

Is it wrong of me to want to use the many good features of Google Voice
that I very much appreciate in the way that I want to use it (and keeping
my 20-year established and widely published land line number as my
primary, ring-first number)?  I do not want to go through the nuisance and
annoyance of changing my primary, published telephone number everywhere.

> 1) It is NOT voicemail. It has voicemail, but it's intended
> to function opposite to a voicemail service.

To each his own.

> 2) People should be calling your Google Voice number directly; it then
> forwards to (rings) one or more actual phones (home phone, cellphone,
> gmail, etc...) and redirects to voicemail if you don't pick up.

That is just not what I need or want.

> The idea is that you give everyone your Google Voice number, but not your
> home or cell number(s).  Then you can change home or cell service without
> impact to people who want to call you.

Again, that is not what I need or want.

> You also gain control options, such as setting some callers to only ring
> through on weekdays, or setting some callers to ring the home phone but
> not the cellphone.

Again, that is not what I need or want.

> So the reason it doesn't work the way you want is that your concept has it
> behind your normal phone; it's actually the reverse in that your normal
> phone is *behind* Google Voice.

Again, I just want my "normal" land-line phone to be my primary telephone
and my primary telephone number.  Is it wrong to want that and to want to
use Google Voice in the way I want and need to use it?

I have two different Google Voice numbers for two different applications,
one personal and one business. For the business application, *all* calls
to my toll free number are forwarded instantly and directly to my business
Google Voice number and I need that number answered by voice mail on the
*first ring* because that toll free number is *never* answered "live" and
the 25 second (five+ ring) delay is a serious detriment.  All calls *must*
be recorded for my business application and the transcribing that Google
Voice does for those calls is extremely valuable.  The 25-second five-ring
delay is extremely detrimental.

Judging from the many posts on the 'net on this same subject, many, many
other people have the same need that I have.