Comments for

Plumble Ad Sponsored "Free" Calls

2008-07-21T18:19:53Z

You remember Pudding Media, right? They offered ad sponsored phone calls in exchange for "listening" in on your phone conversations so it could target audio ads. Pudding Media essentially leverages keyword wordspotting using speech recognition. Well, today, I learned about Plumble from Telecom Monthly. The article seems giddy with what it thinks is some new revelation...

Once in a blue moon, a new product comes along with an idea so obvious that you just want to slap your forehead that you didn't think of it first. For a couple of years, companies like Jajah and Skype have been offering "Free" phone service. But both still collect your credit card number and charge you for calls that you make off their networks. So they aren't really "Free," although they can come close if you call mostly other Jajah or Skype users.

Plumble, The Free Phone Service

A new beta service called Plumble offers actual free phone calls without collecting your credit card number or even your name.

Well, Pudding Media offers free ad-sponsored calls, so this is nothing new. Of course, I didn't care for Pudding Media's eavesdropping ad model. Plumble is limited to U.S. and Canadian calling, which isn't that expensive anyway. Where's the international free calling? Heck Jajah has been offering free international calling since 2006. Further, Plumble requires that you dial 818-742-0110. Um, that's not toll-free - that's a California area code. So I have to pay to dial long-distance to make a "free" phone call? Not to mention it is currently limited to 5 minute phone calls. Thus, this is only useful for short calls anyway and only for people where 818 is a local call.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Comment from Dusty on 2008-07-21

2008-07-21T20:00:55Z

Sorry folks. The plumble.com/G site is really just a test. Calls are set for just 2.5 minutes so we can test the call flow end to end. While the /G page is up, you are free to make a call, but we really don't have it up for end users at the moment.

When we finally launch, we'll have local numbers across the country which you can use to dial in for free and terminate your call to dozens of countries world wide.

Calls will be 10 to 20 minutes in max length. We will not be asking for any form of payment or obtrusive demographic info. Unlike other services, we are really free and we respect your privacy.

Feel free to give the test a try if you are curious. Otherwise, you can keep track of us at Plumble.com for more info on when we are launching.

Thank you and I'm sorry about the incomplete info you picked up online.

Comment from Tom Keating on 2008-07-21

2008-07-21T21:45:16Z

Thanks for providing additional info. I'm still a bit skeptical you can find advertisers, but if you build it, AND users come, then so will the advertisers. Good luck!