[ProllyInfamous]

My biggest complaint as a user of an old analogue touchtone (the classic AT&T wallmount you're thinking of right now, in red) is: fiberoptic VOIP "telephone lines" don't have the wattage to ring a classic brass bellset – which is okay if you're like me and never want your phone to ring – but sometimes you need this feature.

You can't even imagine how difficult it is to even source a corded telephone locally (outside of the really expensive fax machines, with attached handset).

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POTS was a brilliant invention; it saddens me that US Radio Operator licenses recently began requiring emails for renewals (which I legitimately don't/won't use). ...sort of thought the principle of being Hams included lowtech communications technologies (not eternal "to do" lists == email).

It seems like our interconnectedness has been going backwards for at least a few decades.

[bob778]

Off topic, but how do you operate without email? Is it not essential for many government services and utilities where you are?

(Here, it is technically optional for utilities but is an additional $10/month to have your electricity bill posted to you instead of emailed. The tax office requires email as does my bank though - I just checked.)

[ProllyInfamous]

>optional for utilities but is an additional $10/month

Our local utility offers a one-time $10 credit for opting-out of paperbilling... most similar signups do/will require in-person verification – which I consider a 'perk' at this point in my life (for identity protection reasons).

>how do you operate without email?

There're a few dozen million of us non-email users; granted most are infirm in some way (whether to age or insanity).

A civil court action several years ago required me to sign attensation to "no phone / email" – which at the time was still true. As I am not an attorney, they cannot refuse my access pro se to the legal system – this case eventually required me to seek representation, so this became moot.

[black_knight]

I think you can get a device to put between the VoIP and the phone which makes the bell ring properly! I think it is called a ring booster.

[ProllyInfamous]

I looked this up – less than ten dollars, shipped – thanks for the recommendation, but I consider the lack of ringer a perk =D