By Rick Garcia
Phone calls are slowly becoming passé. The other day I attempted to call one of my clients only to have a hollow, artificial voice of a woman in a monotonous tone – “If you know your party’s extension please dial it now. Otherwise press “1” to continue, press “2” to dial by last name or press “3” to leave a voice message.”
Annoyed and helpless, I could do one of three options: 1) Be obedient and follow Rosie the robot’s instructions. 2) Press “0” hold steady and pray a live voice will come to your rescue. 3) Hang-up in frustration. I often choose option three.
One hundred thirty-eight years ago, the first transmission of a voice from an electric apparatus hailed the famous line, “Mr. Watson – come here. I want to see you,” when inventor Alexander Bell was summoning his assistant in the next room at his Boston laboratory.
Since Bell (1876), Antonio Meucci (1854), or Johann Phillip Reis (1860)(Take your pick) were credited for the invention of the first practical telephone, millions of people spanning over a century actually had full-time career positions serving as switchboard operators, dispatch, technicians and linemen.
Throughout the 20th century, telephone conversations started as a vital necessity for brief information (who, what when and where) due to the limited number of phones and the infrastructure cost. For post-war baby boomers and their parents, phones became a social norm in society where conversations became an extension of human interaction. Telephone companies were making a killing on phone bills racked-up by their teenagers. Pay phone booth was the predecessor of mobile phones. Telex and fax machines were email and PDF’s ancestors. As business became globalized, so did the need for sophisticated telephone systems which became multi-billion dollar industry.
The explosion of electronic communications surpassed the human capacity to manage the fast pace and lifestyle of our society, which now demand multi-tasking and time-management.
Then came voicemail, coined by Televoice International and later became Voicemail International (VMI) for introduction of the first nationwide Voicemail service in 1980. Although VMI trademarked the term, it eventually became a generic term used for referring to virtually all automated voice services employing a telephone. From the eighties to the turn of the new millennia, automated voice services became the business “New Normal” until we yet, hit another rung on the communications technology ladder – Email and Text.
In September of 2012 a report from USA Today and Vonage claimed that Voice mail was in decline. The report said that the number of voicemail messages declined 8 percent compared to 2011. This holds true both personal and business as people pick and choose whomever they truly want to talk to. With caller ID or the ability to “Press 7” to delete with extreme prejudice, many callers, like myself, tend to volley alternative communications that possess instant impact – text messaging. Email is now the business “New Normal” for reaching out to people (Not to mention all social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
Even as LAN lines dwindle, voicemail continues to evolve today with Internet telephone services that integrate voice, voicemail and text services for tablets and smartphones.
The most pressing question is whether or not future generations will lose the ability to verbally communicate over phones, or will technology refine and enhance communications like Face-time, Skype, and Google Hangout as a hologram?
What would Alexander Bell say about this today? Is it live or is it Memorex?
Rick Garcia, a nonprofit executive, a civil rights advocate, blogger and a contributing writer for The New Citizens Press can be reached at rrgarcianrg@gmail.com
This was printed in the March 23, 2014 – April 5, 2014 edition.
