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Lena Gainstr
join:2010-02-06
Silver Spring, MD

Lena Gainstr

Member

YouMail on VoicePulse

Signed into my VP account today and see an announcement that voicemail is now "powered" by YouMail. If I go to the YouMail website, I see that they offer two levels of service; free, and premium service "starting" at $1.99. The description of the premium service says no ads. Does this imply that the free service has ads? What will VP be giving their customers? The free version or the premium version? Will they bump their rates? Will we have to re-do our voicemail announcements? Anyone have any more info on this change?
So far, it seems that nothing has changed on my current voicemail. It works as before.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

I see no mention of YouMail when logging into my VoicePulse settings. Where do you see this?
Lena Gainstr
join:2010-02-06
Silver Spring, MD

Lena Gainstr

Member

when I log out, and in the description of voicemail on the advertising page
»www.voicepulse.com/default.aspx
Indecision
join:2008-04-23

Indecision to Lena Gainstr

Member

to Lena Gainstr
I've been using YouMail on my VoicePulse account for a few weeks now. There's no ads, and my bill (which posted yesterday) is the same as it's always been.

I did lose my recorded greeting when I switched, but it's no big deal. The default YouMail one is better than the default VP one.

usa2k
Blessed
MVM
join:2003-01-26
Westland, MI

usa2k to Lena Gainstr

MVM

to Lena Gainstr
said by Lena Gainstr:

when I log out, and in the description of voicemail on the advertising page
»www.voicepulse.com/default.aspx

I see it
Lena Gainstr
join:2010-02-06
Silver Spring, MD

Lena Gainstr to Indecision

Member

to Indecision
said by Indecision:

I've been using YouMail on my VoicePulse account for a few weeks now...
Is this something you did yourself or did VP tell you to switch? I see the ad, but no description of what to do, if it is optional or mandatory, and if there are any extra charges for things like transcription of vm. Any ads?
Indecision
join:2008-04-23

Indecision

Member

said by Lena Gainstr:

said by Indecision:

I've been using YouMail on my VoicePulse account for a few weeks now...
Is this something you did yourself or did VP tell you to switch? I see the ad, but no description of what to do, if it is optional or mandatory, and if there are any extra charges for things like transcription of vm. Any ads?
The option's been there in the account center for a while, but they didn't make an announcement until recently. There's a button in the "Mailboxes" page (I think) that says "Convert to YouMail". There's no "are you sure" or anything, it just does it when you click. I'd already been using YouMail with my cell phone though, so I knew about it.

No ads, but transcriptions aren't included. Looks like you'd have to pay YouMail for that.
nycityny
Premium Member
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY

1 recommendation

nycityny to Indecision

Premium Member

to Indecision
said by Indecision:

I've been using YouMail on my VoicePulse account for a few weeks now. There's no ads, and my bill (which posted yesterday) is the same as it's always been.

I did lose my recorded greeting when I switched, but it's no big deal. The default YouMail one is better than the default VP one.
Did you lose any incoming message that had been saved under the old voicemail system? I assume so.

How do you like YouMail versus VoicePulse's old system? How is it better? Does it include a timestamp when listening to incoming voicemail (something the old VP system does not)?

PCInTech
keeping art alive since 1953
Premium Member
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY

1 recommendation

PCInTech to Lena Gainstr

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to Lena Gainstr
It's pretty cool, Lena. I just changed my VP numbers over to it, no extra charge for VP customers, no ads. You can even record custom greetings for specific callers. Way too many options, I'll probably never use.

usa2k
Blessed
MVM
join:2003-01-26
Westland, MI

usa2k

MVM

So its a Voice Mail Box.

When I saw it mentioned here, I first assumed it had to do with email.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf to PCInTech

Member

to PCInTech
How does YouMail compare to Google Voice? (GV has a "use your existing number" option.)
Lena Gainstr
join:2010-02-06
Silver Spring, MD

Lena Gainstr

Member

said by josephf:

How does YouMail compare to Google Voice? (GV has a "use your existing number" option.)
I've been playing around a bit with Google Voice, and it uses one's Gmail contacts which will enable you to create groups to answer calls in a certain way. For example, you can have a group called "Grandkids" in Gmail for easily sending an email to all of them, and then with that same group, have a voicemail announcement specifically for the grandkids (if they are calling on their own phones, of course). The ease of having one master list of contacts with email addresses and phone numbers, and being able to access that list from both gmail and Google Voice makes it convenient to use.

PCInTech
keeping art alive since 1953
Premium Member
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY

PCInTech to josephf

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to josephf
said by josephf:

How does YouMail compare to Google Voice? (GV has a "use your existing number" option.)
I have no experience with Google Voice, so I can't really tell you. This one creates a Web portal for you, and lets you manage your existing contacts, and voicemails, as well as lets you create filters for voicemails, to save, sort, forward to text msg, cell phone, other numbers, etc. You also can import contacts from your existing VP database. As I said, it does way more things than I'll probably ever use.
jfinlayson
join:2003-10-20
Winnetka, IL

jfinlayson to josephf

Member

to josephf
said by josephf:

How does YouMail compare to Google Voice?
I've used both for voicemail transcription. There's a huge difference in transcription quality. I think that's because Google Voice transcription is entirely machine-generated, whereas YouMail hires people to transcribe.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

YouMail's website says specifically that they do not hire people to transcribe it. It is automated.

Also, YouMail charges for its transcription service.
jfinlayson
join:2003-10-20
Winnetka, IL

jfinlayson

Member

Yes. Computers do the initial transcription. Then real people edit it as needed. So they can say they don't hire transcriptionists. They just hire editors.

Practically speaking, there's not a lot of difference. Of the hundreds of transcriptions I've read, the vast majority show clear signs of human editing by someone who also listens to the recording.

Google Voice transcriptions are very often completely indecipherable -- can't even make out the gist of the message.

»www.youmail.com/ym2ym/

usa2k
Blessed
MVM
join:2003-01-26
Westland, MI

usa2k

MVM

Click for full size
That image on that page makes me think of the Ubuntu image.




OK, not so similar ...

PCInTech
keeping art alive since 1953
Premium Member
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY

1 edit

PCInTech to josephf

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to josephf
said by josephf:

Also, YouMail charges for its transcription service.
Got an e-mail from VP, and YouMail is offering us a free 7 Day trial, for the transcription service (The regular service is now standard, free, for VP subs). I might check it out, but I don't think it's som'n I'd use.
nycityny
Premium Member
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY

nycityny

Premium Member

If you sign up for YouMail as a VP subscriber how do you access your voicemail online? If you click on the "Voicemail" feature setting on VP's website does it take you to the YouMail website? If not, what happens? Do you have to go to the YouMail website yourself and use it independently of VP's website?

PCInTech
keeping art alive since 1953
Premium Member
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY

PCInTech

Premium Member

You can access both ways, I've discovered.
Lena Gainstr
join:2010-02-06
Silver Spring, MD

Lena Gainstr to jfinlayson

Member

to jfinlayson
said by jfinlayson:

Computers do the initial transcription. Then real people edit it as needed.
Amazing! With all the concern about privacy, shouldn't there be an uproar about having people listening in and transcribing your voicemails?
nycityny
Premium Member
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY

nycityny to PCInTech

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to PCInTech
said by PCInTech:

You can access both ways, I've discovered.
If you access it via VP's website do you then have to enter your username and password for the YouMail site?

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf to Lena Gainstr

Member

to Lena Gainstr
said by Lena Gainstr:

said by jfinlayson:

Computers do the initial transcription. Then real people edit it as needed.
Amazing! With all the concern about privacy, shouldn't there be an uproar about having people listening in and transcribing your voicemails?
It's optional. (And costs extra.)
josephf

2 edits

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Duplicate del.

PCInTech
keeping art alive since 1953
Premium Member
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY

PCInTech to nycityny

Premium Member

to nycityny
said by nycityny:

If you access it via VP's website do you then have to enter your username and password for the YouMail site?
If you use the click-through in the e-mail notification you get for a new mail, nothing. Just takes you right there. About the only thing YouMail's pages ever asked if accessed directly, was phone number and voicemail PIN. Nothing if accessed through VP account page.
nycityny
Premium Member
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY

nycityny to Lena Gainstr

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to Lena Gainstr
Well, I switched over to YouMail on VoicePulse and I like it. You have to take some time to set things up and adjust your settings online. But once that's done you have more flexibility and features, particularly:

1) A timestamp on voicemail messages
2) The ability to listen to and delete voicemail online

I've had these features for years on other VOIP systems.

I also like the personalized outgoing messages. I recorded them for a few of my friends where they hear me mention their names in asking them to leave a message. Nobody has heard it yet but I'm looking forward to hearing their reactions.

PCInTech
keeping art alive since 1953
Premium Member
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY

PCInTech

Premium Member

Agree, it's totally awesome now that I've figured out how to actually use some of the doo-dads. Be careful, though, in tweaking some of the 8 billion possible settings. I somehow managed to shut off my MWI on my phone, and stutter tone when new voicemails were available. I couldn't figure out how to get it back, but a quick call to VP had it working in seconds. YAY!
nycityny
Premium Member
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY

1 recommendation

nycityny

Premium Member

said by PCInTech:

I somehow managed to shut off my MWI on my phone, and stutter tone when new voicemails were available.
Funny, I did that too. I figured out how to bring it back but I was rather distressed in the interim.

I really like this youmail more each day. For example, I have set it up to e-mail me information on missed calls where the caller does not leave a message. A cool feature.

Also, when I'm listening to a voicemail message it offers me the opportunity to record a special outgoing greeting for that particular caller when they phone me in the future.

I recommend to all VoicePulse customers that they upgrade to youmail.
34574589 (banned)
join:2009-09-05

34574589 (banned) to Lena Gainstr

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to Lena Gainstr
Youmail.com also works with any landline\voip with a DID as well. The premium features only cost 20.00. I use it with PhonePower. It is cool but the novelty has kind of worn off on me. Transcription does work pretty well. I ended up switching back to PhonePower voicemail because it is just easier to navigate and sometimes more is not always better. It is a cool toy but not as ground breaking as VoicePulse leads people to believe? Now if the voicemail worked like Ooma then that would be cool!

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

said by 34574589:

Now if the voicemail worked like Ooma then that would be cool!
How does Ooma voicemail work?