Imagine a cheap (possibly free?) answering service that will tell people you don’t want to speak to, for whatever reason to go away. Politely of course. Ahhhhh.

It also allows you to visualise your voice mail messages, prepare different recorded messages for each category of caller, or each individual caller.

You can even block people from calling you (for example any with-held numbers), with a suitable message that says something like “if you choose to withhold your number, then I can choose to ignore you. Bye”.

Or you can have a special message to greet your mother that is different to your boss, or your best friend, or your ex. If you haven’t seen the YouMail web site, and you live in the US or Canada, try it out and let the rest of us know if it is any good.