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Google Voice transcribes voicemail. A bit hit-and-miss sometimes, but decent (and, presumably, getting better with more data).
You're being generous... it seems as if their service is worse off now than it was when GrandCentral ran the place.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are a couple of voicemail transcription services available, or you can use Twilio. I suggest language like "For quickest response, please spell me your email address."
Google Voice transcribes voicemail. A bit hit-and-miss sometimes, but decent (and, presumably, getting better with more data).
It's less about having/not having 'foo' and more about letting or not letting 'foo' dominate your life. In the case of cell phones 'foo' is the cellphone as well as all the people trying to contact you through it. I never answer a call I don't recognize, I check the vmail afterwards. If they don't leave one, oh well guess they didn't need to talk to me that bad. I often don't anser the phone when someone I know does…
I couldn't agree more. This problem appears to date back to landline phones, as well. Telemarketers can't interrupt one at dinner if on simply doesn't answer the phone.
Insisting on not having 'foo' at all times states that, at no time, will 'foo' be desireable, and that stretches credibility.
With effectively ubiquitous text messaging, which is asynchronous like email, the whole "operate on your time" argument falls apart.
For years I was conditioned to pick up the phone as soon as it rang. Growing older, I realized this to be the wrong approach. Today, most calls end up in my voicemail. Lessons learned: - Urgency is typically defined in terms of the calling party. In most cases, it dissolves into something that did not warrant my attention in the first place. - Interruptions will take away from the task at hand and result in decreased…
I'm extremely curious as to how this happened. I doubt I was conditioned, but I never felt the obligation to answer a ringing telephone. Perhaps this was a consequence of being a first-generation immigrant from a country without ubiquitous phones?
I'd love to turn my cellphone ringer off, but it's not really practical for a sysadmin. And once I'm available 24/7 for work, I become available for anyone else that has that number.
As a sysadmin, this is why I pretty much always insist on an on-call rotation and escalation. Humans can't actually be available 24x7.
It's also not a foregone conclusion any more than a single cellphone has only one number. Google Voice has made call forwarding an inexpensive proposition.
The "what about emergencies?" issue comes up quite a bit, I thought I'd share my perspective. Having been in a few actual life or death emergency situations in my personal life and formerly being a police dispatcher, I've been on both ends of this. You don't need to be immediately reached by phone in these events unless you can actually do something about it. Calling 911 and attending to the emergency trumps calling…
The way I see it, the "what about emergencies?" argument is not so much about someone in an emergency being able to reach you to ask for help or to inform you. It's a matter of YOU having a phone to make an emergency call to 911 when/if you have the need.
I'd love to turn my cellphone ringer off, but it's not really practical for a sysadmin. And once I'm available 24/7 for work, I become available for anyone else that has that number.
And once I'm available 24/7 for work, As a sysadmin, this is why I pretty much always insist on an on-call rotation and escalation. Humans can't actually be available 24x7. It's also not a foregone conclusion any more than a single cellphone has only one number. Google Voice has made call forwarding an inexpensive proposition.
Of course humans can't be "always" available, but there can be a (self-imposed) obligation to be as available as possible. Personally, I turn my phone off in theaters and museums, and at weddings and funerals.
I've considered setting up multiple numbers, but haven't yet.
I disagree that it necessarily makes the world run on your time. All it does, is make the default method of communication asynchronous and forces synchronous communication to be scheduled. It doesn't "make the world run on your time", unless you're still using a phone to interrupt other people with unscheduled synchronous communication. The responsible way to ditch the interruptions and improve focus is to shift your…
Seriously, what is it with you yanks? "I used [something most people use] every minute of every day, but I decided to stop using [that something] alltogether and now I feel [free/empowered/at peace/intellectually stimulated/etc]." What about moderation?
Regarding cell phones, I haven't carried one for years, since I was a consultant, and it was necessary. People look at me like I am insane, and they cannot imagine how I function in modern society. I am called a Luddite, even though I am far more deeply and enthusiastically involved with technology than they ever will be.
Sometimes, trying to arrange spontaneous social gatherings, I wish I had one, but that is rare. I carry an iPad, which does mitigate, since I can exchange texts, and receive voicemail via Google Voice.
Primarily, though, I don't feel empowered, but I do feel that my deep indignation of other people's cell phone related rudeness is more pure if I don't carry one.
Edit: typos.