AOL Phone Number Cancellation

Greetings and Salutations to All my Kith and Kin and All the Ships in Outer Space: I just now received an e-mail from America On Line indicating free Voice Mail telephone service will be terminated on Tuesday 13 January 2009. At that time, you will no longer be able to call me at that number. If I've provided you with the number, you may still call me on my cellular telephone. You can't leave voice messages on my prepaid cell phone, but it does indicate who called, so I can call back. The advantage of using the telephone number assigned to me by America On Line was that, using my computer's speakers and microphone, I could receive and answer telephone calls on my computer, just like on a regular telephone, but it was all free. By using the computer instead of the cellular telephone, I could save the minutes used on my cell phone, making them last longer. The only disadvantage, since it was free, I could only receive telephone calls, and was unable to use my computer to call anyone else, unless I was willing to purchase a premium subscription service. I'm guessing that America On Line is experiencing financial difficulties, causing it to reduce services. I've been expecting this. In fact, I suspect that future access to many web sites and services on the Internet will suddenly cease being free, thus forcing a drastic curtailment in user activity. So, call me right NOW, because you can't call me after next week! Mox nix. (If you were ever an American G.I. stationed in Germany, then you recognize that phrase.) Thank you. John Robert Mallernee, KB3KWS Official Bard of Clan Henderson Armed Forces Retirement Home Washington, D.C. 20011-8400 NOTE: "My unpopular and controversial personal opinions are independent of my Scottish clan."