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Google Voice goes US only

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Google Voice goes US only

#61

Post by prepend »

jeffbee wrote: post #33
prepend wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I imagine. People try to kill it, but there’s thousands of googlers using it and it’s harder to make it internal only than just to keep it running. So every time someone tries to kill the project some fancy pants google person kills the idea because it personally inconveniences them.

This logic doesn't make sense considering how many Googlers used Inbox and Plus and so forth. I imagine they don't kill it because their ads feature where you can click to call the advertiser uses the same infrastructure. It's the ultimate sales conversion tracker.

I think very few googlers cared about Plus.

Inbox had a pretty easy substitute as gmail was still around.

If Voice goes away there’s nothing else googlers can use, even at reduced functionality.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#62

Post by alphabettsy »

prepend wrote: post #4

What’s the replacement service for google voice? I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info. I also like getting texts through a web/app interface. Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn…

NumberBarn

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#63

Post by jeffbee »

prepend wrote: post #61
jeffbee wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This logic doesn't make sense considering how many Googlers used Inbox and Plus and so forth. I imagine they don't kill it because their ads feature where you can click to call the advertiser uses the same infrastructure. It's the ultimate sales conversion tracker.

I think very few googlers cared about Plus. Inbox had a pretty easy substitute as gmail was still around. If Voice goes away there’s nothing else googlers can use, even at reduced functionality.

I guess since I never used it I don't understand what this irreplaceable feature is. Isn't it just VoIP?

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#64

Post by zamadatix »

1oooqooq wrote: post #29
zamadatix wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A couple of years after Google Voice split out from Hangouts and, while there were plenty of VOIP options, they all sucked for use as a personal number (even Google Voice kind of did to be honest). The latencies for ringing, not being accepted at ever more places, the weird connection quality and delay issues, one way audio issues, and so on were just so rampant compared to a "traditional" (now also really just data,…

google didn't split from hangouts. It got merged into hangouts (and both apps existed) because some PM bonus was tied to hangout active users or something. Same reason you automatically logged into a gmail-plugin-hangouts client when you opened gmail by default. They just undid that shenanigans after the PM got his bonus. Maybe by then their bonus was tied to simplifying the tech stack :) edit: > If privacy/secrecy v…

Argue it split or merged til the cows come home, that PM bonus should have been 10x as much recurring if that's what caused it to be. Hangouts was years ahead of its time in functionality to the user - I could SMS/MMS, call, IM and video/voice chat all from the same interface on web or app on any of my devices without a dependency on any of them. If the offering were still available today I'd go back in a heartbeat - it was glorious.

> lol, no. the only usecase for gvoice and the likes is to have a fixed phone number without a montly bill that you can use to make international phone calls for business. or to receive calls when abroad.

Please ignore assuming meaning of a term so you can laugh at me in response. It was actually quite handy to pass out VOIP numbers for interviews, sign up forms, and the like because they could never tie back to reaching me once I stopped the forwarding. I realize that is different than worrying about government actors tracking you via standard telephony but you should realize there is more than that specific interpretation of the term, especially when GP named the same use case I just mentioned.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#65

Post by angryasian »

1oooqooq wrote: post #29
zamadatix wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A couple of years after Google Voice split out from Hangouts and, while there were plenty of VOIP options, they all sucked for use as a personal number (even Google Voice kind of did to be honest). The latencies for ringing, not being accepted at ever more places, the weird connection quality and delay issues, one way audio issues, and so on were just so rampant compared to a "traditional" (now also really just data,…

google didn't split from hangouts. It got merged into hangouts (and both apps existed) because some PM bonus was tied to hangout active users or something. Same reason you automatically logged into a gmail-plugin-hangouts client when you opened gmail by default. They just undid that shenanigans after the PM got his bonus. Maybe by then their bonus was tied to simplifying the tech stack :) edit: > If privacy/secrecy v…

I've been a user since grand central and held on to my same number since. At a time when carriers were still competitive, it was great for switching to whatever company were offering the best incentives and not having to worry about telling everyone your new number. Porting numbers sort of resolved this, but I still don't have to worry about it since I only use my GV number.

GV provided online text messages and voice mail before everyone else. GV also allows you to add multiple lines to the same number. At one point I lost my phone and was still able to receive and make calls from the web and my SO's phone.

Its used for a lot more

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#66

Post by fjordd »

devoutsalsa wrote: post #41
jeffbee wrote: post #27

I've never used Google Voice, but I do use Google Fi, and they offer unlimited calls and sms in what looks like every country on the planet. What's the advantage of Voice for the traveling caller?

I have both Google Voice and Google Fi. With Fi, it's not meant to be used perpetually outside of the USA. If you stay outside of the USA long enough, they'll disable your data connection until you return to the USA, although I believe voice & SMS continue to work. The biggest problem I've had with Fi is that I destroed my phone while traveling, and I couldn't find a phone internationally with which I could activate…

[dead]

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#67

Post by fjordd »

1oooqooq wrote: post #29
zamadatix wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A couple of years after Google Voice split out from Hangouts and, while there were plenty of VOIP options, they all sucked for use as a personal number (even Google Voice kind of did to be honest). The latencies for ringing, not being accepted at ever more places, the weird connection quality and delay issues, one way audio issues, and so on were just so rampant compared to a "traditional" (now also really just data,…

google didn't split from hangouts. It got merged into hangouts (and both apps existed) because some PM bonus was tied to hangout active users or something. Same reason you automatically logged into a gmail-plugin-hangouts client when you opened gmail by default. They just undid that shenanigans after the PM got his bonus. Maybe by then their bonus was tied to simplifying the tech stack :) edit: > If privacy/secrecy v…

[dead]

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#68

Post by robben1234 »

>having a phone number when traveling, when you cannot receive SMS on your US phone number (thanks verizon)

Is there a good reason why carriers in USA and Canada refuse to provide free incoming sms (& calls at expense of the caller) while abroad?

My experience might be limited to only a handful of sims from different countries, but prepaid Telus (Canada) failing to receive sms while visiting USA was a first and a big surprise to me. Made me transfer to PM which offers this.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#69

Post by prepend »

jeffbee wrote: post #63
prepend wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think very few googlers cared about Plus. Inbox had a pretty easy substitute as gmail was still around. If Voice goes away there’s nothing else googlers can use, even at reduced functionality.

I guess since I never used it I don't understand what this irreplaceable feature is. Isn't it just VoIP?

It’s voip with a decent web ui and app and seems to work in lots of situations where other voip providers don’t (ie sms).

The irreplaceable feature is that if you use it, switching out all your phone parts of your life interface is a pain.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#70

Post by simtel20 »

warp wrote: post #51
simtel20 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fi has started to threaten that they will cancel your account if you are overseas for extended periods a month, maybe two or three. So far it seems to reset if you usage is low and you visit the US often enough, but if you want to take an extended trip, it may simply stop working at some point.

I don't live in the US, so far my Google Fi is fine except for international data. "Your international data roaming has been suspended". The error message says you need to stay in the US, with "significant usage" for at least 30 days for access to international data to be restored. I typically visit the USA a few times per year for a week at most (which is why I have the Fi plan in the first place), so this message h…

I have cancelled my Fi service, so I looked back and you're right, it's the data (the important part) that gets suspended. Here's the message:

> As a reminder, Fi's Terms of Service require you to use our service primarily in the United States (territories not included), and it looks like you've been predominantly using Fi abroad. In 30 days, we'll need to suspend your international roaming data capabilities unless you start using Fi in the United States again (territories not included). Your calls and texts will not be impacted.

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