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Let’s Destroy Robocalls

nytimes.com

61–70 of 286 posts

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#61
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's how to actually "solve" this problem on an iPhone: - Pay $1.99 to buy a silent ringtone from the ringtone store. - Make that your default ringtone. - Give everyone who you want to be able to call you an audible ringtone.

still would vibrate, right? but this is a really clever idea...

You can totally disable vibrate on ring.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#62
So robocalls are the result of:

- Cost of phone calls decreasing to basically zero

- Cost of automation going to basically zero

- Phone calls that can come from the Internet so there are no national boundaries anymore

- Caller ID operating on essentially the honor system

- Bad actors (telephone companies) benefitting from this traffic by charging for it

- Larger players having no incentive to punish bad actors

There's a reason why most messages are now sent on whitelist instead of blacklist systems.

For whitelist systems to work you need to be able to enforce identity or have a significant cost to sending messages.

Frankly I don't even want to receive phone calls on my "phone". If I did I'd be more than happy with a contacts only whitelist. Why I can't get this is beyond me.

EDIT: for those mentioning the doctor's office and other non-whitelist cases, just send non-whitelisted callers to voicemail. If you need to answer the phone then OK, I guess this won't work for you. But for the majority of people for the majority of their time, whitelisted contacts only with the rest going to voicemail will work.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#63

What Apple & Google really should do is build the functionality of Hiya or Youmail into their mobile OSes.

My Pixel phone already does that fairly well. I think it might be a recent Android feature?

It is a feature google only offers to their own phones...ever since leaving my Nexus, my spam calls have been a plague

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#64
post #3

What confuses me about this is that Apple could solve this in two seconds by allowing contact whitelists where only incoming calls in your contacts are accepted and everything else is sent to voicemail or dropped. Is there a law against this or something? Nomorobo, Robokiller, Hiya all do an okay job as blacklisting applications but that seems like the wrong way to go about it. Some suggest using do not disturb to do…

I've been saying for a while that Phone UX on our handheld computers is an amazing mistake. There's no other application on any computing device that we allow to be an uneasily dismissable, focus stealing modal with sound alarms in 2019. Sure, phone calls have historical weight behind them, but it is past time to rethink the UX for current usage.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#65
post #53

What an absolutely moronic way to make a point by taking a dig right off the top at the President by saying "Finally, something worse than Donald Trump".

Imagine having something in your head 24/7, constantly gnawing at you and permeating everything you do.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#67

Shoutout to Google and their "Screen Call" feature in android. I screen every call from an unrecognized number. If I see it's my Doctors office I pick up. If not, mark as spam. I can do this in the middle of a meeting without interrupting anything.

Oh yes it's beautiful. Though I wish I could view and listen to the audio after the call. The screening makes a hash of the speech to text sometimes.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#68

Lots of feel good ideas in the post, but no actual good ideas. Back when Congress created the Do Not Call Registry, and then forced law abiding companies to pay $10,000 for it, they pretty much just compiled an amazing list of active phone numbers that non-law abiding companies could acquire for a pretty good price and then sell them in batches to smaller companies that couldn't afford the full thing. Once virtual ph…

I have a really tough time comprehending why it is such a difficult problem to solve. The FCC could have solved it by now, independently of congressional legislation, considering the fact that they regulate the issuance of phone numbers. Those overseas companies still have to get their US phone numbers from an FCC regulated body. What am I missing?

My guess is that it's a motivation problem. With email there was a huge motivation for email providers to fix spam. Email providers don't make money based on the quantity of emails sent and it's a well functioning market. The cost of moving your inbox to another provider is pretty low and there are many competitors. Contrast to this problem: telcos make more money if more calls get placed; there aren't many alternatives; barrier of entry to the market is very high; switching provider is painful; you cannot just try a different telco like you could for email.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#69
post #58
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's how to actually "solve" this problem on an iPhone: - Pay $1.99 to buy a silent ringtone from the ringtone store. - Make that your default ringtone. - Give everyone who you want to be able to call you an audible ringtone.

>- Pay $1.99 to buy a silent ringtone from the ringtone store. I would refuse to do that on principle.

You can make your own Ringtones on the iPhone, you don't need to pay for them on the Ringtone Store.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which company?

Hustle https://www.hustle.com/

(This turned into a bit of a rant...)

So, AFAICT, Hustle provides a service that's nearly as bad as robocalls. From their front page: "Hustle works because people read and respond to texts—and to communication that feels more human." So it's a bait and switch, just like a robocall: you contact me in a way that makes you feel personal, approachable and reasonable to me so that you can gain my attention.

Look, try to see this from my perspective. Without saying anything about the honor and motives of those behind Hustle, it's like I'm being attacked from all sides - Facebook, Robocalls, and now Hustle - to gain my attention. This has always been the case, perhaps, but our modern technology – coupled with a knowledge of human psychology – is a powerful tool (weapon?) for gaining access.

Here's an idea: I don't want to be assaulted all the time via the always-on electronic device I have in my pocket!

I still want to have access whenever I want it. Maybe I can't have it both ways?

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