Slate's Farhad Manjoo says he's giving up on voicemail entirely, calling it an "absurdly backward mode of human-computer interaction" and using Google Voice's voicemail-to-text service instead. Could you follow him into a voicemail-less existence?
If you consider voicemail to be an "absurdly backward mode of human-computer interaction" like Manjoo does, you've got a lot of options these days. Services like YouMail and MessageSling offer voice-to-text transcription and web-based listening for almost any phone out there, and Google Voice's service, soon to be available to all, can organize and transcribe all your calls from withing the Google cocoon.
Still, there are some things best said with your actual voice instead of emoticons. Then again, it can be easier to set up a voice call for a later time using text or email. Sites like TechCrunch have weighed in already, so it's high time we asked: How many of our readers are forgoing voice messages entirely? How do you replace or work around voicemails, and how do you explain your avoidance of them to you dear aunt who wonders why you never return her messages? Is voicemail still useful, just with a few ground rules and changes?
Tell us your take, and your tips for improving or removing voicemail, in the comments.