06-09-2005 01:09									#1
	Would you listen to a 5 second commercial for free phone service? Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

OK, here's the scenario. Google offers free VOIP phone service (including a telephone number and 911), but plays a short (5 second) commercial each time you make a phone call. Would you go for that? All local and long distance would be free under this scenario.

Currently, Vonage charges $30 + taxes + international minutes for such a service.

	06-09-2005 01:13									#2
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

a) hell yeah.
b) How about something else: a videophone, with a commercial below?

	06-09-2005 01:15									#3
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Regarding (b), I don't see why there would be a limit to what you could do, so long as the commercial would be very short and unobtrusive, like Google's current ads.

	06-09-2005 01:15									#4
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

No.

[edit], other way around, cable was charge with no commercials I think. anyway down with commercials, because while some are good, most are crap.

	06-09-2005 01:16									#5
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Not that I recall. But I understand your implied argument that it would be free at first, but not later, after they have signed everybody up.

	06-09-2005 01:16									#6
	Inflate your Upload Space

Thank god for regulation: our cable and sat are still commercial free ( except the foreign channels, and the regular channels )

	06-09-2005 01:18									#7
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

My thinking is this... Currently, Google brings in about $10 per year per customer. While that doesn't sound like very much money, you can do a lot of things with that. Gmail probably costs only about a dollar a year for Google to provide.

Google would have to pay taxes on the telephone service and pay for the telephone numbers. I'm not sure such a thing would make sense, but it intrigues me.

	06-09-2005 01:19									#8
	Remove this text

I would rather pour molten lava in my ear!

	06-09-2005 01:20									#9
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

No. I hate telephones

	06-09-2005 01:22									#10
	Put an end to popups!

Yes, but they better waive the commerical on calls to 911.

	06-09-2005 01:22									#11
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Hadn't thought of that.

	06-09-2005 01:23									#12
	Tired of ads?

They have short commercials on the Sam's Club long distance cards. It's just a short "thank you for shopping at Sam's club!" That's what got me thinking about this.

	06-09-2005 01:24									#13
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

No. But my brother does

	06-09-2005 01:46									#14
	Got spare money?

banana option?

	06-09-2005 01:47									#15
	Tired of ads?

quote: Originally posted by DanS Hadn't thought of that.

It's possible to override this by a special button that dials only 911 ( or other emergency service )

	06-09-2005 01:49									#16
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Cellular phones can dial emergency services even though there's no phone account open in it. I don't think you'd need a separate button.

	06-09-2005 01:50									#17
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

I see no problem with a commercial that runs until the person on the other end picks up.

	06-09-2005 01:58									#18
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Never in a million years. Everything is already way too over-commercialized as it is.

	06-09-2005 01:59									#19
	Support Apolyton

I'd use it for international calls, but would otherwise stick to my cell phone.

	06-09-2005 02:00									#20
	Remove this text

quote: Never in a million years. Everything is already way too over-commercialized as it is.

Communist Why not let the people decide, you opressive?

	06-09-2005 02:05									#21
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

The question was posed to me. I make those decisions!

Since I just can't seem to manage to find the right girl.

	06-09-2005 02:06									#22
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Yes. I live far away from many people that I'd like to call, and phone use can be expensive. Definitely.

	06-09-2005 02:15									#23
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

I hate commercials.

	06-09-2005 03:01									#24
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

What´s the purpose of free phone when you can use Skype

	06-09-2005 03:04									#25
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

SkypeIn and SkypeOut cost $, AFAIK. Also, AFAIK, you have to use a computer in order to use Skype, because of the shared bandwidth approach that they utilize.

I can imagine Google Talk requiring only an adaptor and a regular phone.

	06-09-2005 03:18									#26
	Re: Would you listen to a 5 second commercial for free phone service? Put an end to popups!

No, since the only time I use my cell phone are emergencies anyway.

	06-09-2005 03:20									#27
	Increase the size of your Attachments

YES

	06-09-2005 03:26									#28
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Yeah in this way


Caller: "Help! He is killing me!"
Ad: "Tah tah tah ta-ta I´m loving it!"

	06-09-2005 03:41									#29
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

I'm not quite that cheap. Yet.

	06-09-2005 04:01									#30
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Right now I use a calling card for long distance which takes about 20 seconds to use... five seocnds is a great idea.