I understand what you want to do.  I was simply pointing out that if that's what you want then Google Voice is simply the wrong tool.
If you try to use a sports car to haul dirt, you might manage it but it would be a lot easier if you just use a truck.

If you want business voicemail, then there are many providers for exactly that; you seem to have found a way to shoehorn Google Voice into your use case, but I still suggest that you may find an actual business voice mail service to be far better at accomplishing your stated goals.

As you say, "To each his own", I merely attempted to help you understand the fundamental limitations in the product (as part of it's designed purpose) that caused your frustration, in answer to your original question.

On 09/13/2012 05:46 PM, joe@actionline.com wrote:
> 
>> 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.
> 
> 
> 
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