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FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

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Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#121

Post by tclancy »

deathanatos wrote: post #92
js2 wrote: post #3

I've been getting this call[1] literally every month for about a year now. It goes straight to voicemail because their dialer can't get past my voice captcha. I tried blocking the caller id but they keep using a different last four numbers. I've now configured the call flow so that this entire exchange now has to pass the captcha to even get to voice mail. What I'm saying is, this proposal can't come soon enough. 1.…

> this will be my final attempt to notify you It's always the final attempt/notice. Every time. I've received dozens of "final notices" that my 22 year old car's factory warranty (10 yrs, 100k miles) is "about" to expire.

Oh, you are handling those calls all wrong. On the odd times I do actually pick up I choose from a handful of possible replies:

1. I am in prison for vehicular manslaughter and how did you get my burner cell phone number? 2. I was in a horrible accident in that car and my life is ruined, thanks for bringing it up. 3. The more general "I only have 6 months to live" I use as a catch-all for ending any of these calls: sure I am lying, are you bold enough to call me on it?

#3 makes me think I should talk to my wife about being ready for me to hand off the phone in that situation.

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#122

Post by ghaff »

teknopaul wrote: post #108

Is there any legitimate use case for robocalls at all? Can we not make it illegal punishable with the death sentence? Would any law abidng citizen be affected? Presuming post and sms messages are still allowed. Hypothetically, natch.

Certainly less than there used to be. But there are people who still use phones who don't/won't use SMS and/or may not have good cell reception at home. So reminders about pickups, appointments, flight changes, etc. can't necessarily just assume everyone has SMS on a cell phone.

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#123

Post by ranie93 »

Wheaties466 wrote: post #110
TallGuyShort wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US, I think one problem is have too much mixing of public and private. We give the public sector a lot of decision making power relatively free of consequences, and leave massive profit opportunities for anyone in the private sector who manages to buy enough influence. Healthcare was far from a free market already before ObamaCare. But if we're going to regulate it as heavily as we do, I think we need to just…

Unfortunately completely socializing the healthcare system would tank the economy thats why no serious person in washington is pro universal healthcare.

"a new study [0] from the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst finds that single-payer health care will save the US $5.1 trillion over a decade while drastically cutting working-class Americans’ health spending." [1]

"Blahous’s paper[2], titled “The Costs of a National Single-Payer Healthcare System,” estimates total national health expenditures. Even though his cost-saving estimates are more conservative than others, he acknowledges that Sanders’s “Medicare for All” plan would yield a $482 billion reduction in health care spending, and over $1.5 trillion in administrative savings, for a total of $2 trillion less in overall health care expenditures between 2022 and 2031, compared to current spending." [3]

[0] https://www.peri.umass.edu/publication/item/1127-economic-an...

[1] https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/12/medicare-for-all-study-pe...

[2] https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/blahous-costs-medicare...

[3] https://theintercept.com/2018/07/30/medicare-for-all-cost-he...

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#124

Post by gnicholas »

anthonybsd wrote: post #96
the_pwner224 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The market works pretty often when it is fair. The cell phone market is not, at least in the US. The providers maintain high costs of switching via contracts and phone leases and radio fragmentation (Verizon/Sprint/TMo/ATT use different frequencies, all but the highest end new phones generally only work on one or two) and carrier locking. If I could just put a different SIM in my phone anytime to switch carriers, the…

Don't forget coverage issues. IPhones have been worldphones (i.e. works on every carrier) for the past 6+ years. Contracts and termination fees have been phased out for most people for 4 and all people for 2 years. Yet in my case despite paying full price for the latest IPhone I'm stuck with Verizon. Why? Because in one key location where I live it's the only carrier with data coverage.

Try xfinity mobile. They use Verizon's network and you pay $12/gb. You can byod or buy one through them.

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#125

Post by jimhefferon »

Wheaties466 wrote: post #110
TallGuyShort wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US, I think one problem is have too much mixing of public and private. We give the public sector a lot of decision making power relatively free of consequences, and leave massive profit opportunities for anyone in the private sector who manages to buy enough influence. Healthcare was far from a free market already before ObamaCare. But if we're going to regulate it as heavily as we do, I think we need to just…

Unfortunately completely socializing the healthcare system would tank the economy thats why no serious person in washington is pro universal healthcare.

You would not call Bernie Sanders's plan socializing the healthcare system? (Serious question.)

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#126

Post by post_break »

nartz wrote: post #107

1. Why can we not ban spoofed numbers? 2. It would be great if instead they introduced legislation that made it dead simple to sue robocallers, i.e. - request your call records from carrier - submit said call records through online portal proving excessive calls

It's hard to verify caller ID with current tech is why. Well hard, more like costs money to verify.

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#127

Post by bluGill »

gaius_baltar wrote: post #104
bluGill wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

voice recognition is already to the point where it can recognize numbers. That we are limited to one of 12 numbers (including * and #) before it gets too hard for humans limits the problem scope to the point where it is a relatively easy problem. Of course this assumes enough people follow the pattern of press some number to continue. Every time the pattern changes the cost of understanding it and fitting it into the…

It can be done by asking some obvious question for humans: "This is a anti-robocall system, please answer the question to complete the call. A mother cat and her three kittens are sleeping in a box. Dial the number of animals in that box." The number of kittens change randomly and maybe the system can put some pillows, blankets and other non-animals in the box too, making automated processing harder. AI will get ther…

Your example is a trick question that will catch some real humans.

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#128

Post by ranie93 »

RNCTech wrote: post #93
wpietri wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, it's not clear to me that most "pro-market" advocates even understand markets. They work best when purchasers have many options, clear information, easy switching, and equal power to sellers. But at least in the US, most of the "pro-market" voices in practice seem to be in favor of oligopoly and the absolute right of businesses to exploit information, wealth, and power asymmetries. It makes me a bit bonkers…

You are one of the few people I have ever seen articulate the problem online. Free marketeers are always conflating a free market with an efficient market. We are aiming for efficient not necessarily free. The two only overlap as you described--basically when all participants have no power and good information. Those circumstances are rarely present. Another analogy I like to give blind conservatives has to do with r…

Some additional resources:

Efficient Market Hypothesis[0]: "The efficient-market hypothesis was developed by Eugene Fama who argued that stocks always trade at their fair value, making it impossible for investors to either purchase undervalued stocks or sell stocks for inflated prices. As such, it should be impossible to outperform the overall market through expert stock selection or market timing, and that the only way an investor can possibly obtain higher returns is by chance or by purchasing riskier investments."

Investment theory of party competition [1]: "[...] if voters cannot bear the cost of becoming informed about public affairs they have little hope of successfully supervising government."

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efficient-market_hypothesis

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investment_theory_of_party_com...

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#129

Post by chapium »

jawns wrote: post #15
chapium wrote: post #5

I disagree with having the service providers block the calls. Shouldn't that be up to the consumer? Having your carrier block a call seems like an overreach. I feel this erodes trust in the phone system even more.

Presumably they would be blocking it on the consumer's behalf, with the consumer's consent, through an opt-in program.

Thats not how any phone company I've ever seen works :)

Re: FCC Chairman Proposes Robocall Blocking by Default

#130

Post by RHSeeger »

koboll wrote: post #75

How about this: No one is allowed to call me unless they are on my contacts list, or perhaps another whitelist of not-quite-contacts-but-allowed-to-call-me. Any calls off those lists silently fail. Phone providers must upgrade their infrastructure to include origin-number verification. No business is allowed to expect I be available to answer phone calls, or to require me to conduct business over the phone, for any r…

I get plenty of calls from people outside my contacts list that I want to hear from. My doctor calls me to discuss test results. My daughter's school calls if there's an issue.

I want to get rid of robocalling, too, but I don't want my phone neutered to do it.

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