Google Voice, Part 3

I've had Google Voice for a month or so now, and it is slowly becoming a staple of my everyday telephony. I do have one big concern regarding the service however which makes adopting GV full-time, well, difficult.

Let's talk privacy. I'm willing to give up a some amount of privacy in exchange for Google products. Information is power and money, and Google makes a lot of money off our information. And they should. Google supplies practically everyone who wants it with absolutely incredible products (the search engine, Gmail, GV, Blogger, Scholar, etc.) and instead of trading them cash for services, I swap information. For example, (in case you haven't noticed,) Google scans your Gmail account to tailor its ads toward your interests (or whatever you talk about in your emails). For example: say you're always emailing people about your kid's little league accomplishments. Well, Google will surely pick up on that and changes your ads so they relates to baseball. "Baseball bats $20 @ www.(whateverstoreGooglechooses).com", etc. You are more likely to click those ads, which by collapsing the entire transaction, makes Google money.I really don't mind those ads or this process, and I am generally able to ignore the fact Google is a benevolent Big Brother.

However, what really bothers me is that my privacy on Google Voice. GV text messages are saved online. I don't like that. It's not that I say anything that bad over text, but I certainly don't want anything sitting around my Google account that was produced by telephone. People don't self-censor over text like they do email. What's more, what other people text you becomes part of the record, and that's fairly creepy.

Google also has a "voice recording" feature with which you can record telephone conversations online with the push of a button (number "4" I believe). I haven't used it, but I certainly hope when you push the record button, a little Google voice comes on the phone to enlighten unwitting parties on the status of their (otherwise private) conversations. As you might gather, the Pragmatic Economist doesn't approve of this information-without-consent free-for-all. This is supremely ironic given I have completed extensive study the effects of information asymmetry... Ha.

Here's what Google should do: your text messages and voicemails (which are also recorded, transcribed, sent to your email, and archived) should have more of an opt-in policy, rather than opt-out or no policy at all. Opt-out already exists for voicemail, but I haven't figured the same for SMS. As for the voice recording nonsense: I haven't used it, but if there is no informed consent from the affected party, I am most likely against it.

Yikes. Google, you amaze me for better or for worse. I do have to say overall I'm happy with the product, but I need to be a bit more comfortable with my privacy before "making the switch". I received some Google Voice invites, so I'm hoping to see how my friends like it (given that I talk about it a lot) and whether they agree with these points. I'll keep you posted.

Google Voice, Part 2

Hooray for me, I finally have a Google Voice number!

After waiting about a month, I got a 202 area code number. Once I saw they had 202 numbers I quickly scanned through the dozen or so numbers they had available and picked the best one for me. I am super excited! I've only had GV for a few days now, but here are the features that I love about it so far:

1) I can send and receive texts on the internet for free. I'm over my texting limit for the month, so it'll be nice being able to send texts from my computer more often. After all, I spend tons of time on my computer so I might as well use the free texts online.

2) Voicemail transcription. Now you can leave me a voice message, and I'll get an email telling me what it said! Sweet. Below is an example (published with my friends consent of course) of the transcription and her actual message. Granted she was mumbling a bit, but GV did a pretty good job!

"Hey, This is Melissa, so it and go straight to voicemail and ring like 3 times. He asked, and we're it's a yeah, here's Andrew andnumber is 123456789, Okay bye." (The words GV guesses on are prehighlighted in gray. Tres cool.)

3) No more creepers. How many of you have had this happen to you?

You're in a bar/Starbucks/library/whatever and some guy/girl come up to you and start chatting. You're not terribly interested, but you smile and nod and try to avoid physical or verbal contact. Despite your efforts, this individual will not go away, and asks for your number. You say "no" but this person is persistent, so you give up a fake number. Lo and behold, this guy actually calls your number to make sure it's legit, and oops! it's not. And then you have to give him the real number because you feel like a tool for getting caught.

Well no longer! Just give this guy/girl/tortoise/lampshade you Google Voice number and if he calls you, it will ring! But to sweeten the deal, you can then later block his number so he thinks you've dropped off the edge of this flat Earth. Brilliant.

Here's my challenge for you: I am going to put a widget on my page that will connect you to my GV number. Give me a call and leave me a voice message. I'll put them online along with the transcription. Get creative! Speak Spanish, play your guitar, sing, read a poem! Ring me!

PS: Just so you know, you still incur normal phone charges for calling me on my GV gadget.

Google Voice Part 3

Google Voice and Area Code Snobbery

As some of you may know, Google said, "let there be Voice". And there was. Google Voice is the latest and greatest in Google revolutionary thought (actually it's acquired thought from the now-defunct company GrandCentral). Google Voice is like Gmail or anything else Google except for your telephone. Here's how it works:

You get a GV number free from Google after waiting a few weeks for an invitation. You can chose your area code and all that jazz, then whenever someone calls your GV number, the call gets forwarded to your cell, office, home, or whatever phone(s) you'd like. Online, it gives you free texts from your GV number, transcribes voicemail and puts it online for you, and a whole lot more. So I'm sure you're wondering how I like it? I wouldn't know. I haven't been able to choose a phone number to my liking.

Google bought up about 1,000,000 numbers across the US for it's launch of Google Voice, and sure enough there wasn't so much as one available in an area code of my choosing when I got my invite. As we know, I live in Phoenix, the city that never cools down. I already have a great phone number. It's sleek, fun, and even has a strange family connection. All in all, a desirable, classic phone number. But I can't port my phone number to Google, so I have to get a new GV number.

Alas, the time comes to get my number from Google Voice. I have two area codes I am willing to have: Washington, DC (202) or Phoenix (602). I would prefer a DC number because I intend to move there after graduation and I already have a sweet 602 number. So I tell GV to find me a 202 number. Denied. Seriously? Ok then, 602, for the win. Rejected.

Not even a (gasp!) 480 number to be found. Oh, but Phoenix has one area code available from Google Voice: 623. The Pragmatic Economist doesn't do 623. 623 provokes thoughts of drug-cartels and bad Mexican food. No. Absolutely not. And then I realized it: I am an area code snob.

Is that wrong? Do you discriminate based on area code alone? I've always thought I was open-minded, egalitarian, and such, but having a 623 area code is like wearing the Scarlet Letter of area codes. It shouts "I have done something wrong". That may be a bit melodramatic, but nonetheless, somewhat true. So until I can get a real area code, preferably 202 of course, I will be waiting to experience the wonders of Google Voice. Alas, supply and demand you have bested me. I demand, Google supplies. Beggars can't be choosers, but I'm willing to wait. Begging is such a 623 type of thing to do anyway.

Google Voice Part 2

Extra Credit: Here are links to the "Defenestrated" blog (I'm jealous of the name!) and check out some of Google Voice's voicemail transcriptions. Class dismissed.

GV: Ohh Erica I shall be too late

Stupid Google Voice Transcriptions