Google Voice.  Seriously, you had to see that coming.  Your phone data is something that Google didn’t have yet.  When Microsoft introduced IE, people had a fit (a web browser!  For free?!  Integrated with the OS?!!!  Begone, you!)

But now: Google introduced a web browser, and no one batted an eyelash, because in the grand scheme of things — the grand scheme apparently being “centralize, cross-reference, and mine all the world’s information” — a web browser is no big deal.  A voice number that records your calls?  Egads.

I’m being Chicken Little.  You know — they brand themselves “Don’t Be Evil”, which is cute-and-cuddly-and-anyway-how-bad-can-they-be?  I have friend who work for them, and they’re great guy.  But Adsense — a main revenue stream?  Fucking Nazi.

Will I use it?  Hells yeah.  But mark my timestamp: the fourth and fifth verbs in “centralize, cross-reference, and mine” are “control” and “charge for”.

The feedback I gave on Google Voice:

I need my son to be able to reach me whenever, wherever, from any phone.  To wit: I need a (semi-secret) 800/888 number routed to my GV # (I’ll pay for the minutes), the ability to accept collect calls (I’ll pay), and the ability to accept international “reverse-charge” calls (again, I’ll pay.)

Double-tasking the toll-free number to allow me to use GV through a domestic payphone, in an emergency, or (these still exist) area code-limited landline accounts, would be desirable (nearly essential.)

(K7.net has you beat on one front, until you accept faxes.)

What an awesome service.  When you have transcripts of everything I’ve ever said or written, copies of all my files, histories of everything I’ve ever read, searched for, and every website I’ve ever visited, and all my buying habits, will the next step be to clone me?  I don’t think you can instruct my Touchpad to take a DNA sample.  Yet. 

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:21:34 -0500
Under technology, the sky is falling, websites
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