With all communications and media going to the Internet it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that the more standard way to communicate or to connect with someone would be via an email address, opposed to a traditional telco phone number.
With services like MSN, Yahoo, and Gmail all attempting to get in to the game with VOIP and media; it only makes sense to use email addresses. Now, or once that’s done, everything can be forwarded to you; and should work better than an old phone number.
One of the issues with phone numbers are that they get reissued and reused. For instance you could wind up with an old phone number from a 24 hour pharmacy, for you home number, and that turns in to a real nightmare; not to mention more hassle with the telco about getting your number changed again.
Using an email address, is pretty definitive on who has it, or if you need to change or forward the information.
Ultimately, you might be looking at everyone being born would’ve an email address [of sorts] for making emails, Instant Messengers, VOIP and so forth. Decidedly, you could contact anyone in the world by knowing their email address.
People tend to remember words better than numbers, in regards to phone numbers. It’s easier to understand ‘Joe.Schmuck@AT&T.com’ than a number— just as an example.
Over the past couple of years I’ve used several VOIP and Instant Messenger programs and they all reference email accounts. And even with smartphones, I don’t remember any phone numbers anymore; I’m so programmed to just choose the person in my contact list… And more to that, I’m more likely to send that person an Instant Messenger test or an email that to actually call them [it depends on the basis of the information].
I could foresee a service or a hub of sorts at some point to link any email account to a VOICE connection [VOIP], so if you wanted to connection with me; you simply click a point and then we’re speaking for having a video chat.
I’m speculating, but I believe in about another 5-10 years video chats will be obligatory in the general populous. This is reflected in the video functions of smartphones, Xbox Kinect and applications like Skype; just to name a few.
This change wouldn’t actually be massive at all. The infrastructure is already there for the Internet connections and technology could be adapted to provide small communication stations to replace traditional phones; new stations would deliver base emails and provide for VOIP communications simply based on your email address— I believe it’d be easy enough…
All it takes is a simple decision to do so; and the monetary impetus to change.
This is just an observation…
Until next time,
Larry Henry Jr.
LEHSYS.com
