how-to block ads
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DrTCP
Yours truly
Premium,ExMod 1999-04
join:1999-11-09
Round Rock, TX
| reply to Fatal Vector
Re: WHAT?!?!
said by Fatal Vector:
Deals, shmeals. You still end up paying about the same per month. Forgive me, but I remember when VOIP was promoted as free phone service over the internet. Of course, I never believed that crap for a minute. I knew from experience that some way to make you pay would be the reality. I see I was right. Nobody is forcing you into this. It may very well be that this is not for you. Still, a lot of people are finding out that they are saving over the conventional telco especially when you take into account that PSTN providers load your account with non-fees decreasing the so called value of your deal. The calling between subscribers of the same VoIP plan is often free. A lot of the unlimited calling plans include Canada and even some European countries. Plus, you get all those caller id, call waiting, voice mail etc. free when you have to pay for for these for your PSTN. Heck, SBC is even charging for touch tone dialing...
Please note that these are VoIP services that connect to PSTN at some point. If you still want to do VoIP to VoIP there exist free alternatives. You can look at Skype and FreeWorldDialUp. FreeWorldDialup can either be used via a SoftPhone on the PC or you can get your own ATA to use a regular phone. There are pure VoIP services...
Doubtlessly because there is no profit to be made or gain to it. You are simply wrong. Do some research. LOL you AOL guys are a captive audience in a walled garden. You do not check outside often...
Money talks and altruism walks. Perhaps there is competition in the VOIP market, however, the point is, you still have to pay for it. If you want pure voip there is providers. If you want PSTN access (inbound or outbound) there is a charge for it. It is the cost of doing business but that cost is lower than regular PSTN phone you have. Obviously, money talks but less money is required to talk 
And as I asked in another post, what happens the next time there's a widespread power failure? My SBC line will continue to work like it did the last time, while my cell didn't. And neither will your fancy VOIP, because you wont be able to sign on to use it, or, your handset wont have power, or...you get the idea, I'm sure. I still fail to see why I should bother giving up dependable phone service just to save a buck or two. It is not perfect. Considering a lot of houses have only cordless phone which does not work at power failure this is probably not an issue.
BTW, my networking stuff is on a UPS. With the little power requirements I can get a 8-12 hrs of non-interrupted service during that time.
Still you can even save if you just get an outbound only VoIP provider (in particular if you call Internationally). Check out TelAIX.com for example. You can keep your PSTN line but you do not have to have a 1 and 011 provider connected to it.
Now, can you take your landline in Texas and move it to California on a trip? With VoIP you can. And people can still call you at the same number. There are ups and downs as well.
Open your mind. It may not work out for you but it does for a lot of people. But I agree the AOL/Time Warner variant of the VoIP service is unlikely to save anything to anybody. It is a bad product. | |
Fatal Vector
@aol.com
| reply to DrTCP
Depending on your call patterns? SBC gives me unlimited local, and I have a 1+ provider that gives me LD for 3c a minute. Of course, I can use my cell from anywhere on the network to anywhere in the country (I may as well get value for the $30 I pay a month.
Deals, shmeals. You still end up paying about the same per month. Forgive me, but I remember when VOIP was promoted as free phone service over the internet. Of course, I never believed that crap for a minute. I knew from experience that some way to make you pay would be the reality. I see I was right.
And, how is it "negitive attitude" to ask why someone cant come up with VOIP that doesn't require a middleman with his hand out? Well? Why cant you? Or, should I ask: Why wont you? Doubtlessly because there is no profit to be made or gain to it. Money talks and altruism walks. Perhaps there is competition in the VOIP market, however, the point is, you still have to pay for it. And as I asked in another post, what happens the next time there's a widespread power failure? My SBC line will continue to work like it did the last time, while my cell didn't. And neither will your fancy VOIP, because you wont be able to sign on to use it, or, your handset wont have power, or...you get the idea, I'm sure. I still fail to see why I should bother giving up dependable phone service just to save a buck or two. It's the same thing as going 80 mph on the interstate to get an extra 10 miles out of each hour. Big deal. | |
DrTCP
Yours truly
Premium,ExMod 1999-04
join:1999-11-09
Round Rock, TX
| reply to Fatal Vector
said by Fatal Vector:
I was under the impression that VOIP was supposed to cost LESS, yet, from what I see, it costs aproximately THE SAME as a regular landline with taxes. I dont get it, myself. Why bother? ESPECIALLY when you have to buy and expensuive "Handset" and hope it works properly on your connection. There are versions of VoIP from other providers that actually save money depending on your call patterns. Most providers have deals that provide the equipment at discounted or free after rebate.
If all you guys are so clever, WHY cant someone come up with VOIP that doesn't require a middleman with his hand out? Now THAT would be something to crow about. What negative attitude. Do a basic research... AOL and Cable company provided VoIP are not the only ones Competion is actually hot in this market. Check the VOIP forum, VOIP reviews and Voxilla.com has a comparison of popular VoIP providers. | |
Fatal Vector
@aol.com
| reply to DrTCP
Well, give them credit. You CAN stop all the popups, etc in the marketing section of the AOL clients preferences. and, there are 3rd party applications, such as ad buster that sit and auto close the myriad ads on their pages.
Hell, what do you expect? AOL is part of the largest and greediest media conglomerate around and if there's one thing we know about corporations like this, they believe that people actually want advertisements all over every page, jumping, jittering, sliding, hopping, blinking, flashing (You notice that you cant just simply turn flash player off...).....
AOL makes it's money off of Joe and Jane box of rocks, who, considering their proven stupidity, will likely go for this latest offering too. Myself? I'll just stay with my BASIC, no frills/gadgetry/"Features" SBC land line for now. It's private, unlikely to be hacked, gives me utter security when talking to someone and, costs me about the same.
I was under the impression that VOIP was supposed to cost LESS, yet, from what I see, it costs aproximately THE SAME as a regular landline with taxes. I dont get it, myself. Why bother? ESPECIALLY when you have to buy and expensuive "Handset" and hope it works properly on your connection.
One more shining example of something hyped as the coming of electronic nirvana, only to have some corporation insert itself in between and start hogging down monthly payments.
If all you guys are so clever, WHY cant someone come up with VOIP that doesn't require a middleman with his hand out? Now THAT would be something to crow about.
For that matter, why not a P2P application that networks by itself with other clients and doesn't require some group with "INC" in their names behind it to act as a lawsuit rod?
So much for real innovation. In the end, like allways, no matter what the "GURU's" say, money talks and the suckers pay. | |
DrTCP
Yours truly
Premium,ExMod 1999-04
join:1999-11-09
Round Rock, TX
| reply to Matt
said by Matt  :I am paying for a service and I am STILL subject to ads? Not only plain ads, but fricking POP-UP ads? Removing pop-ups would be someting unnatural for AOL. Their regular paid ISP service is also full of pop-ups. I never understood why people put up with that at a premium price... | |
ColdFiltered
join:2005-01-25
Atlanta, GA | reply to Matt
If you are a BSFA customer and want to use the WebMail portal you are also subject to ads. Its the new ISP doctrine of renaming you Ben Dover. | |
floppyidea
@optonline.net
| reply to Matt
That idea will flop faster than a 5.25" floppy!
Well, its coming for a company that bills one of the highest voip rates in the country (Time Warner) at $40-45 so they think $30-40 with ads and spam is a good idea?!?!?!
They have been smoking some of that RIAA/MPAA stuff for way too long!!! | |
Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
 ·North State Commun..
| I am paying for a service and I am STILL subject to ads? Not only plain ads, but fricking POP-UP ads?
Good lord. Anything to make a buck.
Thank god the BBr staff doesn't follow that rule. Why more people won't follow this site's example on privacy and ads is beyond me. | |
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