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I hate telephones

jameshfisher.com

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Re: I hate telephones

#381

Post by emodendroket »

csydas wrote: post #340
emodendroket wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Unfortunately it doesn't work that way, the ones that DO give you the option to be 'do not call' will forward your number to other spammers, actually increasing the spam calls you get. Do not ask them to put you on the d-n-c list! Anybody legitimate that's not true. But it's so easy to spoof your number that there are a lot of bad actors.

Are you talking about internal Do Not Call lists or the actual Federal Do Not Call list? Because I used to have that issue with credit card companies, random loan spammers, and such with both mail and phone call spam. I signed up for the list with a 100% opt-out option and just like it promised, within 3 months, the offers stopped coming in. That being said, I also try to be pretty careful about putting my phone numb…

Both really. Companies face fines if they keep calling people after they request to be put on a do not call list so it's a big deal. That's how I remember my experience at a call center anyway.

Re: I hate telephones

#382

Post by mrweasel »

anotherevan wrote: post #111

I’m probably a bit the other way in that I get frustrated with text messages going back and forth and back and forth when a one minute phone call will sort everything out far more efficiently. Probably also has something to do with hating tapping away at tiny virtual keyboard on the phone, too. My teenage daughter seems very reluctant to make a phone call. Watching her try and organise something with her friends driv…

I've moved to the "Just make a phone call" camp after hating phones for many years. I still don't really care for phones, but getting stuff done is often much quicker when you call someone. If given the choice I would drop Skype and other online calling services, they're still no where as reliable as telephones and always a hassle.

My preferred communication means are: phone, email and everything else could disappear and I wouldn't care. Really, everything is just a poor implementation of the phone or email.

Re: I hate telephones

#383

Post by mrweasel »

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."

Sometimes you need that. The issue isn't the phone call, it when people don't agree on what the phone is for.

Re: I hate telephones

#384

Post by Zigurd »

For about $300/mo you can have a personal assistant who will do what he wants to have done with phone calls. But, for free, you can have Google Voice, which you should get anyway if you travel internationally or use Hangouts, which will block spam calls and screen calls from numbers not in your known contacts. If he works with a group of people in a consultancy, there are numerous small business pbx-aaS services that have auto-attendant features for call screening or that can be used in combination with a human personal assistant.

Re: I hate telephones

#385

Post by astura »

djhworld wrote: post #359
xg15 wrote: post #200

> I hate telephones. > The problem is the medium. The problem is synchronous communication. The problem is the telephone. I hate telephones. > I’m told that, in 1993, 2.5 million people in the UK had “telephone phobia”. That’s over 4%, similar to rates of arachnophobia. This is not unusual, and I’d bet rates are higher now. Everyone hates telephones. > ... Asynchronous textual communication is how everyone communicat…

I like communicating with companies via live chat. You can do it discreetly without bothering people around you (e.g. in an office) and usually your situation can be expressed better in text, and you have a transcription at the end to keep to. For example a few weeks ago I was having problems with my phone, so I contacted OnePlus via their chat, and the lady on the other end arranged the RMA process quickly. Much qui…

Live Chat is also nice because it doesn't distract me the same a phone conversation does. I'll live chat during the times I'm doing some mindless task (like running scripts).

Re: I hate telephones

#386

Post by retailbuyout »

jimmyswimmy wrote: post #286
vilmosi wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Android can absolutely do this. Either via settings or replacing the default calling app.

Can't. You can block individual numbers, but there is no tool in the base Android to block all unknowns. Fortunately there are plenty of apps which will do exactly that - but I'm confused as to why I need to install an app to do something so simple.

Well “blocking” isn’t the same as “not ringing”, right?

Re: I hate telephones

#387

Post by retailbuyout »

quicklime wrote: post #153
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…

I don't get enough (any) spam calls to do this, but have you ever thought about using http://www.jollyrogertelco.com/ ? Instead of blocking the spam calls, it connects a bot that ties up the caller in a pointless conversation for as long as it can. I'm sure this would result in the telemarketers removing you from their lists themselves.

Too useless for actually ignoring your phone.

Re: I hate telephones

#388

Post by wildrhythms »

simonbarker87 wrote: post #323
wildrhythms wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can understand being able to discuss a complex issue over voice, but can you explain how this is possible? > it is far easier to work through something even remotely complicated with voice instead of text I find that this is the exact opposite. Trying to explain an error message (or have an error explained to me), or providing numbers, a name, an address, etc. is always a nightmare on the telephone. "I'm sorry was…

I find that when typing the way to get through things quickly is to anticipate there responses and try to head them off in the initial email unless you want it to become and endless back and forth of one line emails and this is very hard to do. I speak much quicker than I type so (250-300 wpm vs 50-60) as do most people so the communication happens a faster. Finally, it is much easier to convey meaning and feelings g…

So what I'm hearing is that phones are still great for social engineering. No wonder millennials hate phones.

Re: I hate telephones

#389

Post by fiatpandas »

ecshafer wrote: post #270
iiv wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with the sentiment of his article, but I also agree with you. The article is written in a condescending and arrogant way.

My impression of the article is that the person has some semi serious mental health issues. Their anxiety is getting in the way of their life. But they are spinning it as something wrong with the system.

I was getting the same feel from it. He uses the word fear a few times, and after I read that I couldn't help but frame the piece around social anxiety or insecurity about conversational skills. Of course, surface level it's about the annoyance and technical inefficiencies that come along with the device.

/armchair

Re: I hate telephones

#390

Post by retailbuyout »

maxerickson wrote: post #159
gonehome wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

No, it is useful, they still don't want to waste time calling people that aren't going to take part in the scam.

Man i should get you to talk to my spam with that magic +5 robot charisma.

Unfortunately, it still won’t prevent my number from being spammed. There is no human to talk to. Any indication you are alive is a confirmation your phone number is worth calling. The only thing you can do to convince them is not answer or somehow communicate a likely disconnection from a human.

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