Telephony hell
12 Jan 08 Filed in:Phones
It isn't all rosy when the average person picks up the traditional phone, or tries out a new internet VoIP service that was invented by technicians with foreheads the size of a small skyscraper. Telephony hell is all around.
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Perhaps you think you are dialling the US from your computer phone, but your call is diverted to Nigeria. You hang up because you dont understand a bloody word.
A month later you see the bill and realise that the premium rate charge continued for ages after you hung up. You try to complain, but you cannot get any sense out of the Nigerian exchange operator. After googling Telephony Hell, you find out that you cannnot turn the call off even by pulling the plug on your PC. Internet telephony is great, innit?
How many times have you got through a series of numbers, just to screw up one digit, and you have to start again. Then you get through and it is busy!
In comparison to some, this Snapvine thing seems all too easy with its short number dialing sequence! Surprisingly, (or is it shock, horror?) it is easy and from personal experience, it is worth looking into this new simple online telephony idea!
Yes, Skype does work now, and Skype is a complement to this Snapvine idea, by offering cheap calls to the US landline service. But, how many Skype zealots fail to mention the history!
And the guys behind Skype, the bad boys who were also behind kazaa, Zennstrom and Friis, even came good in the end when they got bought out by eBay! You can go online and join the auction for Skype and buy it now for $3bn!
Had any phone nightmares?
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Premium rate nightmares
Perhaps you think you are dialling the US from your computer phone, but your call is diverted to Nigeria. You hang up because you dont understand a bloody word.
A month later you see the bill and realise that the premium rate charge continued for ages after you hung up. You try to complain, but you cannot get any sense out of the Nigerian exchange operator. After googling Telephony Hell, you find out that you cannnot turn the call off even by pulling the plug on your PC. Internet telephony is great, innit?
You have to get used to 30 digit pin numbers and calling cards for cheap calls.
How many times have you got through a series of numbers, just to screw up one digit, and you have to start again. Then you get through and it is busy!
In comparison to some, this Snapvine thing seems all too easy with its short number dialing sequence! Surprisingly, (or is it shock, horror?) it is easy and from personal experience, it is worth looking into this new simple online telephony idea!
Skype used to suck.
Yes, Skype does work now, and Skype is a complement to this Snapvine idea, by offering cheap calls to the US landline service. But, how many Skype zealots fail to mention the history!
As it happens, scaredy cat naysayers were wrong about Skype, and now many skeptics are glad their favourite Ed the Editor put them on to free internet phone calls. See, it worked out fine for consumers and we have no excuse for not calling home to momma from anywhere in the world, every Sunday morning.In the early days the current VoIP god was all very sketchy. "OMG what have I signed up to?" was a phrase repeated in my headphones umpteen times before the connection crashed and burned. Anyone over 30 was too scared to use it.
And the guys behind Skype, the bad boys who were also behind kazaa, Zennstrom and Friis, even came good in the end when they got bought out by eBay! You can go online and join the auction for Skype and buy it now for $3bn!
Had any phone nightmares?
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