Comments on: AOL to launch free AIM phone service

Service will let AOL Instant Messenger users receive incoming calls from any phone.

[mahurshi]

I like this idea

I'd definitely use this!

[bkarrish]

New AOL Service

Anyone know which carrier(s)are providing all those telephone numbers?

[baseballnut]

Yeah

I hate AIM (VLC, Plaxo, AOL Explorer downloads != Cool), but for this...

[mahurshi]

I like this idea

I'd definitely use this!

[bkarrish]

New AOL Service

Anyone know which carrier(s)are providing all those telephone numbers?

[baseballnut]

Yeah

I hate AIM (VLC, Plaxo, AOL Explorer downloads != Cool), but for this...

[jeffhesser]

millions of users = phone # shortage.......

How on earth can AOL offer it's millions of subscribers a free phone number???? cell phones are already pushing the limits of our available numbers, this is going to kill it forever.

[jeffhesser]

disregard that.... my bad

after i posted i got to thinking.... and did some research... so there are a TON of numbers not being used... next time i'll research first, post second.

[jeffhesser]

millions of users = phone # shortage.......

How on earth can AOL offer it's millions of subscribers a free phone number???? cell phones are already pushing the limits of our available numbers, this is going to kill it forever.

[jeffhesser]

disregard that.... my bad

after i posted i got to thinking.... and did some research... so there are a TON of numbers not being used... next time i'll research first, post second.

[Sea of Cortez]

This is just another Big Media HOAX :(

This is just one more Hoax out of the Big media :(
Only possible because AOL has Billions of dollars in Google & Yahoo shares and in other Big media outlets so they just put out any lies they want.

To be exact, I guarantee you this:
1- AOL will never offer free real phone numbers for people to call into a free IM account.
2- Should such a service be offered for free, it will be just for long enough to sucker enough people into it, once few millions have signed up then they will turn the switch ON and start charging for it big time. After all what are you going to do by that time when you have given this
phone number you got (supposedly for free) to many people. You are going to shut up and pay up what AOL ask from you or loose possible contact from many who you gave this phone number too.

[ericblr0716]

Re: Big media HOAX

Wow.... so I guess its all just one big conspiracy huh?

[Sea of Cortez]

This is just another Big Media HOAX :(

This is just one more Hoax out of the Big media :(
Only possible because AOL has Billions of dollars in Google & Yahoo shares and in other Big media outlets so they just put out any lies they want.

To be exact, I guarantee you this:
1- AOL will never offer free real phone numbers for people to call into a free IM account.
2- Should such a service be offered for free, it will be just for long enough to sucker enough people into it, once few millions have signed up then they will turn the switch ON and start charging for it big time. After all what are you going to do by that time when you have given this
phone number you got (supposedly for free) to many people. You are going to shut up and pay up what AOL ask from you or loose possible contact from many who you gave this phone number too.

[ericblr0716]

Re: Big media HOAX

Wow.... so I guess its all just one big conspiracy huh?

[bartb88]

How are they going to finance this?

They've got to end up charging for it somehow. Since they're loosing customers how can they afford this? I don't think that ads on the AIM user's end could cover that much. Even with 1-800-DIAL-AIM then some numerical ID.

Of course this won't stop me from trying it out. It juast stops me depending on it.

[noaudio89]

FINANCING

Barb88,

I imagine AOL harvesting all the user data and re-selling it.

Did you know that Vonage, the Voice Over Internet phone company, mines all incoming and outgoing phone numbers and re-sells that data to tele-marketers? That is how that 'free' service runs.

Just a hunch, but I'd sure like to read the fine print of this "Too good to be true" offer.

That's my two cents.

[bartb88]

How are they going to finance this?

They've got to end up charging for it somehow. Since they're loosing customers how can they afford this? I don't think that ads on the AIM user's end could cover that much. Even with 1-800-DIAL-AIM then some numerical ID.

Of course this won't stop me from trying it out. It juast stops me depending on it.

[noaudio89]

FINANCING

Barb88,

I imagine AOL harvesting all the user data and re-selling it.

Did you know that Vonage, the Voice Over Internet phone company, mines all incoming and outgoing phone numbers and re-sells that data to tele-marketers? That is how that 'free' service runs.

Just a hunch, but I'd sure like to read the fine print of this "Too good to be true" offer.

That's my two cents.

[ciscokid2k]

Which 30 countries will this new phone svc support?

If anyone knows....please share the info.

[TucsonAlexAZ]

30 countries listed at the website

the countries (or the limited areas of some contries) are listed at

http://www.aimphoneline.com/intcalling.adp?pg=1

[ciscokid2k]

Which 30 countries will this new phone svc support?

If anyone knows....please share the info.

[TucsonAlexAZ]

30 countries listed at the website

the countries (or the limited areas of some contries) are listed at

http://www.aimphoneline.com/intcalling.adp?pg=1