Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I hate telephones

jameshfisher.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 449 posts

Re: I hate telephones

#131

Post by gonehome »

kibwen wrote: post #102
programbreeding wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't exactly what you're asking for but on Android: Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb > Allowed in Priority Only > Calls From Contacts Only (or Calls from Starred Contacts Only if you really want to lock it down). Optionally enable: If the same person calls a second time within a 15 minute period, allow it (might allow someone really trying to reach you to get through, might also allow a spam caller through).

I appreciate the advice, I hadn't considered using DND, but wouldn't that also silence e.g. texts as well?

I tried this on iOS and it doesn’t work well because it turns off all other notifications.

While calls do get through from your contacts, you don’t get notifications for anything.

I really just want a contacts whitelist, but since that isn’t an option I use nomorobo which is a subscription service that works really well to block spam calls for $2/month. It’s an iOS app, focuses on not uploading your stuff to their servers, and doesn’t collect your call logs.

Re: I hate telephones

#132

Post by maxerickson »

izacus wrote: post #65
kibwen wrote: post #37

I receive about 20 spam calls per day. In contrast, I receive about 0.2 legitimate calls per day. Google itself suspects that these are spam calls, because it pops up a bright red "SUSPECTED SPAM CALLER" warning when the phone begins ringing. And yet, I have found no option to have the phone automatically decline the call. There's not even an option to silence the ringer for any call not from my contacts; I actually…

20 spam calls per day? That sounds like torture... is there really no body in USA that would prevent that from happening? (I've never received a spam call on my now 20 year old phone number.)

The internet myth is that it doesn't work but all you have to do is answer and ask them to put you on their do not call list.

Not give them a big tiresome speech about how they are breaking the law, just ask them not to call anymore ("Please put this number on your courtesy do not call list"). They actually don't want to waste their time...

Re: I hate telephones

#133

Post by yoodenvranx »

> If I were rich, I would have a permanent secretary.

If I ever play and win the lottery this is the one thing I would spent big money on. No expensive cars, no expensive wine, just a person which takes care of everything.

Need a new insurance for the car? Tell the secretary to do it. Car is broken? Tell the secretary to take care of it. Need a hotel? Tell the personal secretary to book one. Phone broken? Just send an email "Please order me a Samsung S8" and it will magically appear the next day. Don't like it? Just tell them to send it back.

This would solve 95% of my daily struggles and it would improve the quality of my life way more than any expensive yacht or car could ever do.

In fact if you have a group of half a dozen people who each pay a few hundred $ a month you could almost employ one person who takes care of such stuff even as a not-so-rich person.

Re: I hate telephones

#134

Post by [deleted] »

jimbokun wrote: post #77
strathmeyer wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, things that cause you stress can be neurosis and psychoses. If it ruins your focus it is affecting your life and can be classified as a disorder.

How can a phone ringing not ruin your focus? Maybe you never actually focus on anything, and so do not understand the phenomenon?

[deleted]

Re: I hate telephones

#135

Post by gonehome »

maxerickson wrote: post #132
izacus wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

20 spam calls per day? That sounds like torture... is there really no body in USA that would prevent that from happening? (I've never received a spam call on my now 20 year old phone number.)

The internet myth is that it doesn't work but all you have to do is answer and ask them to put you on their do not call list. Not give them a big tiresome speech about how they are breaking the law, just ask them not to call anymore ("Please put this number on your courtesy do not call list"). They actually don't want to waste their time...

This depends on the caller.

A lot of the calls I used to get were the ones where they spoof a phone number that has the same first few digits as yours to make it seem like a local number and then the caller is a scammer “You owe money to the IRS”, “Your computer has a virus and you have to pay to fix it”.

Engaging these callers is probably not useful.

Re: I hate telephones

#136

Post by paul7986 »

On my iPhone I use the AT&T Call Protect app and it works pretty well. Though I am still getting a few spam calls from phone numbers with my same exchange which go unanswered.

I would think sooner or later the telemarketers are training the public/the masses that answering unknown calls isn’t worth it making it an unprofitable business. Just read all the comments here and on Facebook re: this... ppl just don’t answer the phone like they use to.

For me If we haven’t spoken before text, email, FB or leave me a voice message and I’ll call you or actually answer your call.

Re: I hate telephones

#137

Post by siliconc0w »

Text messages have their own issues. I kinda like 'em for, 'what do you want at the store' type queries but there is this whole 'text game' flirting thing I think I'm supposed to learn how to do and can't really figure out. It feels like a 90s action movie with two people shooting back and forth at each other for 20 minutes to little effect. Highly edited perpetual conversations filled with weird iconography that, at this point, I pretty much choose at random. This is what being old feels like.

Re: I hate telephones

#138

Post by gonehome »

yoodenvranx wrote: post #133

> If I were rich, I would have a permanent secretary. If I ever play and win the lottery this is the one thing I would spent big money on. No expensive cars, no expensive wine, just a person which takes care of everything. Need a new insurance for the car? Tell the secretary to do it. Car is broken? Tell the secretary to take care of it. Need a hotel? Tell the personal secretary to book one. Phone broken? Just send a…

I think that’s basically what this company does (though I haven’t used them): https://www.zirtual.com/plans-pricing

Re: I hate telephones

#140

Post by qznc »

lifeformed wrote: post #124

Getting a phone call always feels so rude. It's like it's saying, "Whatever you are doing, stop RIGHT NOW and listen to me. NOW! NOW! I'm giving you TEN SECONDS! LISTEN TO ME."

This! Phone calls are most impolite way to begin communication in my opinion. I'm probably not alone, because a lot of my acquaintances send a chat message first, like "hi, can I call you right now?".

It can also lead to priority inversion. You handle the caller first despite having a higher priority (like a person next to you). Phone calls feel more urgent. Some people exploit this (e.g. salesmen).

(I might have phone anxiety, but weaker than in the article, and this is just me rationalizing it?)

A weaker variant of this are WhatsApp voice messages. You can delay listening to them, but you cannot skim to the relevant parts and must listen to the drivel before. "Hi ... uh ... sorry for this voice message ... uh ... but I'm too busy to type right know so I thought I'd rather talk ..." Am I the only one who finds this impolite and rude? Obviously this person does not value my time because I have to invest the time to listen. A text message would take a fraction of the time to read. Especially, because people would leave out the drivel. The waste of time multiplies if such voice messages go to group chats.

Post reply on HN