Quote from: mo832 on May 11, 2014, 05:37:11 PM
While I'm sure you have your reasons for wanting to completely separate yourself from any ties to Google Voice, or maybe Google altogether, most of the free or clever solutions offered on this board will involve some Google service of some sort. That's just how it is.
Seeing as the board activity is largely related to the fact that Google is altering some of its features as they relate to Obi, most of the activity on here is going to tie in to Google. If there were a way to completely remove G from the equation and still get 100% free service, there would have been no need to involve them in the first place to use the Obi, and also it would have been demonstrated here a long time ago, even without the changes coming this week.
So as gderf says, suit yourself. You don't need to use GV, but your options are reduced.
Hi Mo.
Over the years I (and others...) have noticed that G is very insensitive to it's users needs & desires.
If a bit of searching is done it becomes very obvious that they have almost zero ways for users to ask for help.
Sure, they have forums - which are largely useless from my experiences of them.
An example:I have a domain that uses the free G apps for it's email.
G changed the log-in process and it no longer accepts my (correctly recorded) password.
To change the password requires actions that are also not working.
My email clients can log in perfectly - but I cannot make any changes via the domain control panel.
This leaves me exactly ONE option - re-map the MX to my hosting at some point and stop using G's services thereby.
The above is merely one example of how G has made changes that exclude users from the process.
That's OK if it is OK with the users - but it is not OK with
this user.
I have very much enjoyed G's gift of GV phoning for a couple of years as so many here have - but now (IMO) it is time to move on and I'm good with that.
If instead G had started charging us to use it via the Obi I would have paid them, but since they are simply erasing the Obi users from the map, to me - that means seek elsewhere, and I have - and found some very good options & providers.
The other cool thing about all this is that it got me to look deeper into the whole XMPP subject - enough to find I can (for the moment ??) still use GV via Wifi & Android.
Since I gave up paying for cellular (I live in a 100% dead zone) I have missed it a bit, and having a Wifi-only enabled cellular phone will allow me to have at least a bit of mobile abilities.
Later, if and/or when G may choose to drop GV altogether - I can still use that same Wifi stuff for plain SIP minus GV, so it's all good IMO.
Thanks, and Best Wishes !!