[Spheric Harlot]

Wilhelm.tel is a local ISP/TV pipe that supplies building co-ops in and around Hamburg.

Fiber-optic terminal in the basement supplies guaranteed 100/10 per subscriber, landline, and 300 channels of shit on the tv to choose from.

[subego]

So, you basically do live inside an exchange.

[Athens]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

The "Do Not Call" registry has worked wonders on our hangups/telemarketing. Very rare now. And I don't think our phone does SMS...

Let's rescue the USPS and go back to writing letters. Or send servants around to deliver messages and wait for replies. Pony express!

Ours failed us big time, any company can buy the Do Not Call list for 50 bucks which is designed so they dont call you but they end up in the hands of Indian call centers which are untouchable by our laws causing more telemarketing then before for those that registered.

[Athens]

Originally Posted by Eug 

I have both.

1) I need a hardwired landline for my alarm system. Technically I could go wireless but it wouldn't actually save me money. Actually, if I went wireless, I'd do it as a backup.
2) Long distance is a lot cheaper with a land line (or internet-based "land" line), as opposed to my cell.

BTW, I run my VDSL2+ (25 down 7 up) through my land line too. My internet provider would actually charge me extra $ per month if it were a dry loop with no land line telephone, so it justifies having the land line even more.

P.S. I don't have Facebook or Twitter accounts, and I've turned off iMessaging. I just do texts and email, and both don't require immediate response, because nobody knows if I'm "online" or not.

I got unlimited US and Canada calling on my cell with the unlimited minutes. Long distance is not a issue for me.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Athens 

Ours failed us big time, any company can buy the Do Not Call list for 50 bucks which is designed so they dont call you but they end up in the hands of Indian call centers which are untouchable by our laws causing more telemarketing then before for those that registered.

The Do Not Call list works well for me.

[el chupacabra]

You don't even have to go back to land line, Google phone is free if you have internet.

[jmiddel]

[I] use mainly my landline which I need for work. I've had a cell since late 1991, but have always used when on the road, never had it on at home. And strictly to talk to wife and some friends. It was off most of the time unless I chose to turn it on. Now I just got seduced by the 4S iPhone, and it is so tempting to use it as a 'real' 2nd phone, on all the time, Contacts giving me easy access to my info... Oh well, I never sought the simple life, and, there is always voicemail!

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra 

You don't even have to go back to land line, Google phone is free if you have internet.

Do you mean Google Voice? Can it receive calls? Because I thought it forwarded them to a real phone line, which means it's not a replacement for a phone line.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

Do you mean Google Voice? Can it receive calls? Because I thought it forwarded them to a real phone line, which means it's not a replacement for a phone line.

Skype with a Skype-In number?

[Athens]

would be stuck handing out a US number, skype cant provide Canadian numbers. Besides rather have a reliable phone if I was to not have a cell phone. That rules out all internet phones. After all if something is wrong with the internet im screwed.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Athens 

Besides rather have a reliable phone if I was to not have a cell phone. That rules out all internet phones. After all if something is wrong with the internet im screwed.

I carry around a cheap back-up cell phone for just that reason. However, I think it's just as possible that there could be something wrong with your cellular network. I don't find the cellular networks to be anymore reliable than the Internet. And, with the Internet you have many more points of redundancy: if the cellular network is down, you can easily find a WiFi hotspot; if Skype is down, you can switch to Google Voice; if anything other than your direct point of access to the Internet is down, the Internet can route traffic around that dead spot.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

Do you mean Google Voice? Can it receive calls? Because I thought it forwarded them to a real phone line, which means it's not a replacement for a phone line.

Google Voice does forward calls to a "real phone line", but you can also receive and place calls using Voice without a "real phone line". If you have Voice set up, an option appears in Google Talk to "Call Phone". This uses your Voice number to dial-out to a landline through Talk. You can also receive calls from landlines to this number. The Talkatone app for iOS gives you an iPhone-like phone interface for the Google Voice/Google Talk combination. I use it almost exclusively for my voice calls.

[Eug]

I haven't been impressed with Skype at all. Very unreliable on cellular networks or hotel WiFi networks. Not even that great on wired internet access, because there are so many possible points of degradation I guess.

I haven't tried Google Voice yet, though.

[nonhuman]

I much prefer Google Voice to Skype. I use it through gmail on my computer all the time for conference calls and such and have actually had people comment on the quality of my connection.

I really wish there was (and am starting to consider developing myself) an app that allowed you to do that outside of the browser though.

[subego]

Aren't there VOIP adaptors which work with Google Voice, or are you trying to do something else?

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by subego 

Aren't there VOIP adaptors which work with Google Voice, or are you trying to do something else?

It is possible to get your Google Voice number working with a SIP phone (soft or otherwise), but I've never found a really satisfactory solution for that. All I really want is a desktop VoIP app that lets me make and receive calls through my USB headset like I do in the gmail window, only without having to keep my browser window open to my gmail account and signed into Google Talk (I often use encrypted chats in Adium, and it's really annoying when they sometimes pop up as gibberish in my gmail window).

Google does provide an API and libraries for writing a client, so I'm thinking I may just do it myself.

[Athens]

I hang up on people who use VOIP to call me and I would never subject any one I care enough to talk to with VOIP. When it works its fine. When it fails which is often due to so many points of failure its horrible. You can't count on call quality with VOIP, to many variables not in your control .

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Athens 

I hang up on people who use VOIP to call me and I would never subject any one I care enough to talk to with VOIP. When it works its fine. When it fails which is often due to so many points of failure its horrible. You can't count on call quality with VOIP, to many variables not in your control .

So I assume you hang up on people who use iPhones to call you too, then?

[Athens]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

So I assume you hang up on people who use iPhones to call you too, then?

I don't talk to any one on US networks so no

[subego]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

It is possible to get your Google Voice number working with a SIP phone (soft or otherwise), but I've never found a really satisfactory solution for that. All I really want is a desktop VoIP app that lets me make and receive calls through my USB headset like I do in the gmail window, only without having to keep my browser window open to my gmail account and signed into Google Talk (I often use encrypted chats in Adium, and it's really annoying when they sometimes pop up as gibberish in my gmail window).

Google does provide an API and libraries for writing a client, so I'm thinking I may just do it myself.

Ahhh. I got ya.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

Stockholm syndrome?

I'm more worried about Helsinki Syndrome.

[Athens]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

I'm more worried about Helsinki Syndrome.

The two are the same thing....

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

I'm more worried about Helsinki Syndrome.

So is Hammond.