
Goodbye to an old friend: 1-800-GOOG-411 - fogus
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/goodbye-to-old-friend-1-800-goog-411.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FMKuf+%28Official+Google+Blog%29
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e1ven
Just a note- The company I used to work for, 1800 Free 411 is still around,
and makes a pretty decent alternative. Free411 is ad supported, and doesn't
have call completion, but otherwise its a pretty decent stand-in.

~~~
emit_time_n3rgy
And then there's 1-800-BING-411 (1-800-246-4411) which used to be called
something like 1-800-Tell-Me. I prefer g __gle's sms-based service. I've also
tried ChaCha.com (txt 242-242) where humans respond instead of software but
the service has declined from my experience over the passed couple years.

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bdj
This is sad because this is one of the only technologies my mom is comfortable
with using. She uses this service on almost a daily basis. When I called her
and told her about this story, she asked if there was some way to call them up
and complain about it. I know Google is notorious for not having very good
customer service, but does anyone know if there is a number she could call?

~~~
jlees
Google is (believe it or not) working on being more accessible to customers,
but no, right now, there isn't a number she can call. It's sad that people
like your mom are disappointed, and there are plenty more like her out there,
but calling up isn't going to change anything :(

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sh1mmer
I think Google are actually really brave to do this and I for one am proud of
them. Lots of corporate companies keep around products in zombie states for
years because they are afraid of shutting stuff down and upsetting customers.

Google provides lots of free services and I think it's awesome that they try
stuff, innovate and then pull out when it's not working for them.

I think it's good they gave everyone a month's notice and provided a txt based
alternative. It would have been nice if they'd also pointed to some voice
alternatives provided by "competitors" though.

~~~
smakz
The flip side of course is that it becomes dangerous if you rely on any of
Google's free services. An extreme example, but what happens if GMail isn't
profitable enough? Maybe Adsense for content isn't pulling it's weight any
more (if it ever has)?

411 was a fairly useful service, and while shutting it down is probably the
right business move, it pushes me more and more to move my primary email
account and diversifying my advertising.

~~~
joezydeco
The rumor I always heard was that 411 was only around to stress-test their
voice recognition backend. It really wasn't delivering ads or anything of
revenue to them.

~~~
smakz
I've also heard rumors that Gmail and Adsense for Content aren't particularly
profitable for Google. Of course I've also heard that the brand equity created
with Gmail is very valuable and those two are extreme examples, but even based
on similar rumors it's possible Google could shut down either one.

~~~
joezydeco
I don't think Gmail would get shut down since it's a part of Google Apps, a
paid service. Unless _that_ turns out to be a burden on the company...

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BenSS
Well this stinks both because I used it all the time, and it completely shuts
out non-smartphone users from those services.

~~~
cryptoz
Better ask for your money back, then.

Okay, to be serious though: this service never made it to Canada so I only got
to use it once while visiting the USA. It sounded pretty cool and I know
you'll miss it.

Seeing as this is HN, though, this is an obvious opening for a startup right?
I mean, Google clearly doesn't think the service was worthwhile but much of HN
is lamenting its loss.

~~~
someone_here
Goog 411 was in Canada for 2 years.

[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/article692565...](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/article692565.ece)

~~~
cryptoz
What?! Wow, I missed that entirely :(

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dh
This was planned from day one, Google only wanted the massive data set that
they collected to improve voice recognition in other areas. Rather than buy it
via another channel they acquired this data set with this service.

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joezydeco
Maybe those GE phones will go on closeout?

[http://www.amazon.com/28213EE1-Advanced-Cordless-
Directory-A...](http://www.amazon.com/28213EE1-Advanced-Cordless-Directory-
Assistance/dp/B0017YT36A)

------
ronaldj
Used this a number of times in a pinch. It'll definitely be missed. Makes me
want a smartphone a little more.

~~~
cmars232
Same here. Though I much prefer the Star-Trek-like, simple voice interface to
interacting with a smartphone.

There should be more voice apps like GOOG 411, not less.

~~~
lukeschlather
Android 2.1 is pretty damn close. 2.2 seemed to be a little worse.

Main example: it used to be if you had someone's address in your contacts, you
could hold down the search button until the voice search prompt came up, then
say "Navigate to <person's name> and it would pull up Google Navigation on
that person's address.

Around 2.2 Google seems to have removed the ability to search your contacts
from Google Maps. I'm not sure if this is a bug or a decision that searching
your own contacts won't generate ad revenue. In any case, what happens now is
it gives you a popup of search results for that name in your vicinity and asks
you to choose, usually there are like 20.

~~~
nooneelse
Workaround, if you just say their name, it will pull up their contact info and
you can tap the address there.

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zitterbewegung
Oh well, no more free phone calls that you sign up as businesses on goog411.
It was fun while it lasted.

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paulbaumgart
Oh no. How am I supposed to legally look up an address while driving now?

~~~
mikek
1-800-FREE411 is still going strong.

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ogrodnek
Seems to be more proof that the telephone is becoming legacy -- the least
important part of a "smartphone" is the phone.

~~~
cryptoz
I own an iPhone 3G and I _really wish_ that my carrier (Rogers) would let me
get rid of all phone-related services. I don't want or need them. Internet in
my pocket is really the important part. And if I want to talk, send my voice
through the data channels!

Same with TV; I don't own one, but I wish the cable companies would kill a few
shitty cable TV channels and use that bandwidth for Internet data instead.

~~~
maguay
Hmm ... maybe you should get an iPod Touch with a MiFi. Or, of course, perhaps
Apple will eventually make an iPod Touch with a sim card like the iPad 3G. If
it did that with the same data price plans, that would be really great.

~~~
maguay
Now why in the world would that get downvoted? Is that not a reasonable
suggestion? Sometimes HN confuses me...

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inafewwords
My parents got into an argument for getting lost locating a restaurant. We
were going to head home so I pulled out my cellphone and used goog411 to
contact the restaurant and ask for directions. It was located around the
corner from where we were driving around.

That place was delicious.

~~~
g1ng3r
Cool story, bro.

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joshz
Haven't used it for a while but I have fond memories of that silly fetch audio
and trying to convince the system i mean Tom Thumb not Tom Tom Asian Grill.

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grogers
Never used GOOG-411, I've always found the GOOGLE text service more
convenient, but its strange to see them shut it down. I guess not that many
users?

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pasbesoin
TANSTAAFL

I try to keep this in mind with respect to all "free" products, including
others from Google. E.g. Google Apps Standard: Nice while it lasts, but don't
invest in its sticking around.

~~~
johnnygood
Google Apps Standard might be different. Google Apps Standard is offering you
the same thing that Google already offers for free, just using your own
domain. It still has ads and such. As such, as long as Gmail, Google Calendar,
etc. remain profitable, then Gmail for your domain, Google Calendar for your
domain, etc. should have the same level of profitability (and cost). The
additional service that Google is offering via Google Apps Standard is the
ability to use your own domain which really doesn't cost Google.

GOOG-411 wasn't ad supported so they didn't make any money off of it. It
seemed like it was being run in order to collect voice data to create better
speech recognition algorithms. Now that many have smartphones, they're getting
that data in a cheaper way and, ultimately, in a way that they can monetize
easier. Rather than paying 800-number charges for everyone to call into (and
pay while the call was connected), people are using their iPhone and Android
devices to give Google voice data.

I think Google Voice is the more likely service to get canned. Phone charges
can become burdensome while bandwidth is essentially free when you're Google's
size (since I'm guessing they're working off peering agreements more than
buying bandwidth). Even if they were buying bandwidth, bandwidth is something
with lots of competitors and very low regulatory charges. Phone connections
are different.

~~~
pasbesoin
Whether it's Apps Standard, or Voice, or something else. I meant my point more
generally; if you aren't paying for it, somebody is, and they may decide to
stop.

Apps Standard has been on my mind because it is currently a useful solution
for a few small businesses I know, but I caution them about becoming over-
reliant.

(I've argued the cost efficiency of Premier, but they are watching every
nickle and dime, at present. Hopefully, if the free Standard version does go
away, Premier or similar will remain -- I mean, Google's been been engaging in
large, long term Apps contracts with outfits quite capable of "lawyering up"
-- and at a price that is manageable.

I know: I'd just plunk down the money, for something that is business
critical. But, it's not my call. Their initial use is not business critical,
but that's a slippery slope.)

P.S. I haven't researched nor thought it through, but my perception of Voice
has been as a partial workaround and/or escape hatch for carrier lock in. For
the time being, it helps keep the pressure on.

Longer term? Well, rumors are that Google has invested in a LOT of backbone
capacity. Voice may be a step in capturing interactive content transfer, and
the advertising/marketing niches that exist both within it and from analysis
of resulting meta-data. It may also offer some direct revenue; they already
charge (U.S. customers) for foreign calls.

Hmm... will Google roll out a SIP telecommunications service, at some point,
to go along with their professional Apps offers? (Maybe the regulation would
be far too hairy; otherwise, it would seem a likely cross marketing
opportunity, at least until such communications become more fully integrated
into a more general communications paradigm, if ever.)

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duck
Did their old site say this was in beta? I guess I shouldn't of told the 7000
employees at my company to use this last year.

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nlanier
This stings. I love this service.

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paulgbing
bing 411

~~~
paulgbing
<http://www.discoverbing.com/mobile/411/>

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daladd
Isn't this just the wireless carriers getting their way?

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sliverstorm
Just heard about it this morning. All I can say is, damn :(

On the bright side, they integrated it into google maps for mobile, and it's
pretty slick. Now if only I had a data plan.

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wiks
This is a sad thing Google. :(

