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I hate telephones

jameshfisher.com

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Re: I hate telephones

#161

Post by andai »

Spearchucker wrote: post #64
stretchwithme wrote: post #31

I'd love it if my cell phone auto-screened calls from numbers not in my address book. Give them a special message that explains the only way they'll get through is to leave a message. Or that they can register their number in a public registry that fully explains who they are and then I can decide whether to take calls from that number.

I never answer calls, ever. My voicemail suggests sending me an email. If the caller doesn't, it's like it never happened. The only reason I even have a SIM card is for data/tethering.

When I found out that I could take the "home internet via mobile network" SIM card and put it in my phone, I was so happy.

"But you won't be able to receive calls!", the salesperson objected.

"Perfect."

Re: I hate telephones

#162

Post by ravenstine »

I've been saying essentially the same thing for years. I'm glad people are catching on that the legacy phone system is a joke. Phone companies are also complicit in the international scams performed over their system. Good luck getting them to block repeat spam; they will usually suggest you install some 3rd party app on your phone before they even consider taking action. Even then, they usually won't take action.

At one point I was getting dozens of spam calls every day. I thought I'd just whitelist the numbers I'd want to let contact me, but for some reason Android does not come with this feature. The problem with 3rd party apps is that you still receive a call, but it hangs up immediately, so you will still have a notification and sometimes a vibration if the app doesn't respond immediately. So I said to hell with it and I turned off all incoming calls. If people need to talk to me, they can leave a voicemail or text me beforehand.

Re: I hate telephones

#163

Post by paulie_a »

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…

If you ever move. Make sure to go to the Post office and fill out the change of address there. If you do it online you are required to grant the USPS permission to sell your phone number.

I recently moved and immediately found the number of spam calls increase drastically. From 1-2 a week to ten a day.

Re: I hate telephones

#164

Post by mwcampbell »

danieltillett wrote: post #128
ipsin wrote: post #127

While I don't have a phone phobia, I do hate how much time it takes to get a simple piece of information. A recent example: I wanted to book a suite at a hotel. The hotel is not tall, and it overlooks a very noisy bar on one side. Is it possible to get a suite on the other side? Where will I be located, anyway? This information is not online. Instead I have to engage in a phone call. Spend some time on hold. Bounce b…

I think you might find this lack of information is a feature not a bug.

What do you mean? A feature for whom? The customer, or the company trying to sell the service?

Re: I hate telephones

#165

Post by njarboe »

Too bad I can't charge everyone a dollar (or five) who calls me unless they are on my white list. I think this would fix spam calls completely and still let unwhite listed people contact me.

Re: I hate telephones

#167

Post by chx »

1. Gethuman will handle a lot of these truly unpleasant phone calls. They are awesome. I had them call Telus, the cost was $30. Worth every cent. Took me several months to realize I am just unable to do this one. I ... just couldn't.

2. I never answer my calls. They go to voicemail. All of them. I do not even have incoming phone service in the first place; I have a data only plan and an Anveo subscription. I will call you back via VoIP if I choose to do so, at my convenience, at my desk, indeed armed with all the data I need to make a successful call.

Re: I hate telephones

#168

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

I used to had a phone phobia just as bad as described by the author, including spending nontrivial amounts of time going to places to ask a brief question to avoid a short phone call, etc.

My phobia was cured when I got a girlfriend who liked talking on the phone, plus we were away from each other most of the week so it was a good idea to do so. So if talking on the phone gives you anxiety and you would rather not have it, talking to a loved one might be good therapy.

However, I still hate phones (as in phone calls, not smartphones and their wondrous apps) for everything but personal communication with close friends or relatives. I hate how phones bluntly and suddenly interrupt anything you're doing, how you don't necessarily know who is calling, how you don't see the other person's face and how they require to answer now.

When I was younger I seemed to be in a minority for hating phones, but we seem to grow more and more. I look forward to a world where we can conduct any business by email, text messages or, in the minority of cases where it's really needed, previously agreed Skype calls.

Re: I hate telephones

#169

Post by hrktb »

combatentropy wrote: post #93

This article is hilarious and well written. Despite it being about suffering a little too much pain over phone calls, I think it's also meant to be funny. Take for example his story about being too nervous to call his own doctor and eventually getting just better on his own, and therefore how he wonders if telephones are a tool used by the national health service to cut costs. I wonder how he would have survived in t…

I can’t speak for the author, but people going incredible length to avoid phone calls is a real thing.

What surprises me is the author not having the online credentials handy. I also hate phone calls with a passion, and the first thing I look for in a bank is the online interface and how good their app is maintained.

I had to give up on well regarded local banks because of how they focus on “human touch” and had sub-par online tools.

Same with doctors, it took a lot of time to find a range of doctors that had online reservation systems but that’s definitely doable in europe at least.

I survived the years where phoning people was the only way, but even then I tried to have alternatives (actually going to the company’s office was usually a lot better for instance).

Basically I think telephone was a mistake, and wish it a painful and quick death so we forget about it yesterday.

Re: I hate telephones

#170

Post by pfarnsworth »

marssaxman wrote: post #143
microcolonel wrote: post #21

I love telephones, they're useful for having efficient and comfortable synchronous conversations. I don't think the level of hatred expressed here is warranted. Yeah, it's annoying when occasionally you receive a phone call at an unwanted hour, but sometimes it's crucial for people to get in contact with you. I have a publicly listed number (in addition to a private one), and I have not received a spam call this year…

Why do you want to have synchronous remote conversations?

The same reason why sometimes meetings are actually important and faster to come to a decisions than email or chat. When you have all the stakeholders in front of each other, either physically or virtually, information is disseminated and decisions come together much quicker.
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