Google Talk via SMS: Still Dead

Remember I've been fuming about how easy it to get Google Talk via SMS stuck with no way out?

Well, guess what, it's still stuck, five months later. All the recipients I've tried to communicate with failed to respond via SMS at some point, which rendered Talk to SMS channels dead, and there is nothing you can do about unblocking them. Zip. Nada. No block expiration. No "enable this contact to send SMS to my phone" setting.

A search on "must reply before you can send more messages" confirms that the issue is alive and well, with no resolution in sight.

Two trends are becoming more and more distinct:

• Good luck getting prompt customer service from Google if they don't feel like it;
• Applications that "almost work" (other prominent examples: late Latitude, less-than-dependable Android) are becoming the public face of Google.