I love Google Voice. I give out its number as my cell number and have it forward to my cell. That way I can also get texts & messages on my 'puter.

Also, I often work at home these days. During those days, I'll forward the GV number to my home phone. Lots of my cow-orkers are in other states, so I use its FREE calling feature to make long distance calls. I rarely notice any latency.

Also, also, calls to Canada are also free. What with the Canadian FAQWife, this has saved us lotsa Loonies.

Don't you need to have an invite? Does anyone have one? How does that work? I'd love to be able to reply to texts and messages via computer, as I imagine I'd be using the cell for a lot of set-up phone conferencing, and this might be a way to track work-related calls for tax-write offs for my phone bill.

(Note to self: Can I do that? Claim work-related calls on a phone also used for personal? I will research, but if anyone knows off the top of their head, lemme know. I am trying to think of all the angles and appropo/efficient actions before I go live.)

Can I do that? Claim work-related calls on a phone also used for personal?

You can as long as the phone # is used more than 50% of the time for business-related communications.

I'm pretty sure they opened GV up to everyone a few months back. I think. I remember clicking on "sign up" and then never actually doing anything with it.

And yes, you can claim only the calls that are business-related, but it'll be WAY easier to keep a separate number. You don't want to be keeping highlighted copies of all your cell bills for years just in case the IRS asks. Legal but not efficient.

I'll probably have to do that for the first year or two, amych, until I could justify the expense of a second number.

Uh...we use T-Mobile (soon to be AT&Terrible). Anyone know if you CAN have a second phone number that directs to the same PHONE? Or would I have to get a second phone altogether?

I use google voice quite a lot and I love it.

If you need an invite, I have an extra.

Here is one beginner's guide:

[link]

BTW, you can now use your google voice number in skype as the caller id number.

Annoying question the nth (and guys, I'm doing a lot of research on my own, but I figure if I ask here first, someone will likely already know, and save me time so I can DO MORE STUFF.)

I'm planning on using DreamHost to register the domain name and handle my website stuff. I'm planning on using WordPress.org, because I'm used to the interface for WP.com.

So...if I register the domain name and use DreamHost as my host but WP.org as my...whatever...website creator? will I still have erin--------.com as my WP.org site name?

(Xpost with Natter)

Thanks, le nubian! I am trying to get all my questions and ducks and cats in a row before I do anything, so I'll do it RIGHT, but if I need the invite, I will for sure be happy to take you up on that.

I believe you also can get google voice for apps (that is, if you register your domain email/calendar, etc. through google)

I have done it with one of my domains, but it has laid dormant since I haven't needed to use it as much.

So...if I register the domain name and use DreamHost as my host but WP.org as my...whatever...website creator? will I still have erin--------.com as my WP.org site name?

I think what you want is to have your WordPress blog hosted on your domain? So, for example, the blog would be at erinisawesome.com/blog or just erinisawesome.com? If so, yes, that is easy. Wordpress.org doesn't host blogs the way Wordpress.com does. The .org version provides the software that you download to your domain so that your domain hosts it directly. They provide REALLY EASY instructions for doing this. Also, I am not a Dreamhost customer, but I'm pretty sure Dreamhost provides a one-click solution to add a Wordpress blog to your domain. You won't even need to visit Wordpress.org -- Dreamhost will do it all for you! But a Dreamhost-using Buffista should confirm this.

Anyone want to design a website for me in exchange for a share of the (probably never materializing) profits?

It would need to be a blog with a tip jar where the tips could be earmarked.

I'm probably craxy but I think this could be Julie & Julia... with Porn!

edit: if you're interested, I should be able to send you a very rough idea of what the blog will look like during the first week (complete with the intriguing first entry!) by about 9pm board time tonight.