33 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981Copyright © 2015 E. William Horne. All Rights Reserved.The Telecom Digest for Jul 6, 2015
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When I next realized that the Philippines had dropped into our laps I
confess I did not know what to do with them ... And one night late
it came to me this way ...:
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| William McKinley |
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| Date: Sun, 05 Jul 2015 00:22:04 -0400 From: TLVP <misc.tlvp@remove-this.att.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Robocalls - the next level [nfp] Message-ID: <5598B0EC.2050308@att.net> On Tue, 30 Jun 2015 06:24:30 -0700, Don Y wrote: > ... for folks who don't wear their phones and don't want to have to > reach each time Pavlov rings a bell, there's no reliable OTS way of > avoiding this ... An OTS(*) method that works for me: a plain old answering machine. I tell callers (on the OGM(**)): "Sending a fax? Go right ahead. Looking for a human? Tell us who you are, whom you're looking for, and how to reach you, and we'll be in touch with you as soon as possible. Thank you." That takes 10 seconds to spiel off, short enough that the fax machine in tandem on the same line doesn't get discouraged waiting for the mating call of a potentially inbound fax, but long enough to give me a chance to pick up, if I'm home, and free, and know (and like) the self-identified caller. And prevents my unexpected voice's ruining the occasional inbound fax ;-) . Suits me to a T, though obviously, das Meiletsch von Anderen kann Vary-en. Cheers, -- tlvp +--------------------------------------------------------------+ (*)OTS = Off The Shelf (**)OGM = OutGoing Message -- Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP. |
| Date: Sun, 05 Jul 2015 12:56:45 -0700 From: Don Y <anonymous@invalid.telecom-digest.org> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Robocalls - the next level [nfp] Message-ID: <mnc25n$jef$1@speranza.aioe.org> On 7/4/2015 9:22 PM, TLVP wrote: > On Tue, 30 Jun 2015 06:24:30 -0700, Don Y wrote: > >> ... for folks who don't wear their phones and don't want to have to >> reach each time Pavlov rings a bell, there's no reliable OTS way of >> avoiding this ... > > An OTS(*) method that works for me: a plain old answering machine. I > tell callers (on the OGM(**)): "Sending a fax? Go right ahead. Looking > for a human? Tell us who you are, whom you're looking for, and how to > reach you, and we'll be in touch with you as soon as possible. Thank > you." We use the same approach, currently -- except we don't bother customizing the outgoing message (in 2015, how many folks do NOT understand the role that an answering machine plays??). [At one point, I had no OGM on my business line -- amusing to see how many callers got flustered when presented with the "naked beep"! :> ] We keep the ringer off so we aren't even aware that someone is calling (unless we happen to pick up the phone to MAKE a call as a call is coming in). My sleep-wake cycle is highly variable. So, you are just as likely to find me asleep/awake at 5AM as a 5PM. Add to that the ~3 timezones and the fact that most folks FORGET that we don't observe DST, here, and you're almost guaranteed to be receiving calls at "unfortunate hours". > That takes 10 seconds to spiel off, short enough that the fax machine > in tandem on the same line doesn't get discouraged waiting for the > mating call of a potentially inbound fax, but long enough to give me a > chance to pick up, if I'm home, and free, and know (and like) the > self-identified caller. I'd like to gain the CONDITIONAL "immediacy" of being able to react to desired incoming calls -- which our current "review messages at end of day" approach prevents -- without having to risk being awakened, disturbed, etc. EVERY time someone chooses to ring my phone. I.e., have something smart screening the calls -- besides a human! :> E.g., certain callers (aware of my lifestyle, sleep habits, etc.) should be able to "bother me" regardless of time of day: "Sorry, we're unable to come to the phone..." "Hi, this is Penny!" "Can I take a message, Penny?" "I need to talk to you, right now.." (Phone rings through) without me having to announce what I am doing, currently (sleeping, taking a shower, working, "away"). I.e., know how to handle these calls wrt my current "caller-specific, call acceptance criteria" ***** Moderator's Note ***** You don't observe DST - but you're seven hours behind Greenwich Time. That means Arizona. What area? Bill Horne Moderator |
| Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2015 19:44:04 -0400 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Facing a Selfie Election, Presidential Hopefuls Grin and Bear It Message-ID: <60CF00A3-DEF1-4794-A2B4-722E501ADB3C@roscom.com> Facing a Selfie Election, Presidential Hopefuls Grin and Bear It http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/us/politics/facing-a-selfie-election-presidential-hopefuls-grin-and-bear-it.html The Selfie Election http://nyti.ms/1NE67AX |
| Date: Sun, 05 Jul 2015 00:11:35 -0400 From: TLVP <misc.tlvp@remove-this.att.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Robocalls - the next level Message-ID: <5598AE77.7070906@att.net> On Sat, 27 Jun 2015 09:57:22 -0400 (GMT-04:00), Michael Dunn wrote: > In re: the very actively discussed topic of, essentially, one's phone ringing: > > I simply don't understand all the concern expressed here. ... Getting billed 10 cents per air-time minute (or fraction thereof) for every robo-call I answered on my prepaid cell phone, I hesitate to answer them. Having to replenish the ink and paper on the fax machine the robo-faxers exploit, I resent the intrusion of the robo-faxers upon my supplies. Being still asleep when the early morning robocallers call, and trying to go to sleep when the late-night ones do, I'm grateful for my TAD(*). On the rare occasion that I answer a robo-call and am threatened with immediate arrest if I don't pay my (allegedly) delinquent Federal tax obligation by EFT from my checking account (for which the caller "needs" my account number and bank routing address), I become hardened in my loathing for robo-callers of all stripes. Cheers, -- tlvp +--------------------------------------------------------------+ (*)TAD = Telephone Answering Device -- Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP. |
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