My internet answering machine

October 5, 2014
Day 158

From 2003 to 2005, I had what was called an internet answering machine.  These were the days of dial-up, so my computer and phone line shared the same connection, making it impossible to use both at the same time.

So, because technology was trying very hard to keep up with itself, a service was created--for a small fee--that could siphon your incoming phone calls to a special answering service.  I'd be on my computer back in the day when an alert sound would come up on my screen, notifying me of an incoming call.  I think I had the choice of disconnecting from the internet to take the call, but it was such a slow process, there was just as good a chance I'd miss the call anyway.

What I'm still very grateful to have though are dozens of wav files of phone messages from that time, including three dozen from my mother alone, who died just three months after the last recording I have from her.  The others are from friends, family, and even some from strangers, four of which were wrong-number calls I thought were pretty funny, so I kept them.

These soundbites from the past are now saved for all time, and I hope to load some of them online somewhere soon for others to hear.  They are the voices of people who are still a part of my life in a very special way, whether living or deceased, and because they are messages from each person speaking only to me, they are quite meaningful, and I treasure every single one of them very much!