

Google voice woes - manish
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/13/google-voice-privacy-policy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29

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ax0n
I noticed this with calls/SMS between myself and a local bike commuting
pseudo-stranger whom I gave my GVoice info to, instead of my real phone
number. He gave me his real number, but when I SMS'd him, it appeared to his
phone via Google voice's SMS system. While it's cute and clever, it's not
right. He was a bit confused, because he only gives his Google voice info to
certain people. Knowing my background as a geek, he figured that I'd somehow
compromised something just to show off, and was none too amused about it.

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NickM
I think there's some confusion surrounding the SMS feature here. When someone
sends a text to my GV number, it's forwarded to my phone from an arbitrarily
assigned (406) area code number. This number is picked out of a pool of such
numbers owned by Google, and it is permanently mapped to _that_ person's
number for _my GV account only_.

The reason this is done is so that I can then send texts to this newly
assigned 406 number, and it will appear to have originated from my GV number.
The GV system checks which phone the text is coming from, and says "okay, the
phone sending this text is assigned to GV number X, and for GV number X, this
406 number is assigned to other person's phone number Y, so forward the text
to Y and show it as coming from X."

It's complicated, but it ends up working out pretty well in my experience.

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vaporstun
There isn't any confusion.

They are discussing a distinctly different issue. It happens regularly to me
and goes like this:

* My friend Scott has signed up for Google Voice.

* He regularly sends SMS messages to me with his cell phone. (Not his Google Voice number)

* I get a text message from his Google Voice number.

Google did some formulating in the middle and instead of giving me a random
406 number as you describe, it gives his Google Voice number which does
multiple things:

* Potentially exposes to me a number Scott meant to keep as private

* Screws up the conversation because I cannot reply to the text message for he doesn't have forwarding on his Google Voice number (because he doesn't use it)

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jrockway
Meh, I actually prefer this. Sometimes I accidentally "leak" my real number
because I unintentionally kill all my Android apps, disabling the 'use Google
Voice for every call' feature. If the other person is using GV, my number
won't be leaked in this case.

Seems like Google should make this a checkbox that's off by default, however.

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pmichaud
Good to know. Going to sit on my account for a while.

