Slashdot Mirror
Telcos Play Both Sides of Telemarketing War
Monoman writes "Most Slasdot readers already know this but CNN has an article about how the telcos are reaping profits from selling your phone number to the telemarketers, and selling customers ways to block the telemareketers, and selling telemarketers ways to get around the customers who are paying to have telemarketers blocked and... I think you get the picture. It is nice to see stuff like this in the mainstream media." So either both sides pay the local Baby Bell for its protection racket, or you just pass a law and the problem goes away.
a telemarketer tried to sell me one of those telezappers i'm pretty sure it was a prank
What would be nifty would be the ability to transfer telemarketing calls to a little black box that, upon detecting a pause on on the part of the speaker, says a short, encouraging phrase, like "Tell me more!", "Sounds interesting?", "How do I sign up?", "Do you take credit cards?", "Hold on a sec.", etc. The idea would be to keep the caller on the line for as long as possible. Also useful for in-laws, bill collectors, etc. I shall draw up a patent application forthwith.
Roving Web-Teleoperated Robot
It is too bad their attack is so bilateral. With unilateral mailings for credit cards, I simply scribble all over the application such messages as:
"Find respectable work."
or
"Stop exploiting poor people."
And the company gets to pay the return envelope postage. With telemarketers, however, we are forced into the uncomfortable twinge of countering our ingrained impulse to be polite on the phone. What my roomate used to do is this: when they start talking, take the phone from your ear, put it to your mouth, and just SCREAM!!!!
Then laugh as you imagine the dork at his cubicle, ripping his headset off and holding his ear in pain.
Boost Advil sales.
Medicate all your pets.
hi, I like pancakes -.-- -.-- --..
When I get a call from a telemarketers I try to slashdot them at home by putting them on speakerphone and having my whole family (and the bird) yell at them at once.
Good thing my 3-year old daughter screens all my calls for me on my cell phone and home phone. She does a good job, if it is someone I know she is happy to hear from them. If she doesn't know them she babbles on the phone for awhile and eventually hangs up. :) I am cautious because I already happen to have a mechanism in place that records all calls at my house, for my own protection in case my daughter actually agreed to buy something (or her mother called and threatened my life again, heh).
Kids are great, they also know how to grab the mouse and click on "agree" on those click through licenses. I haven't had to agree to a EULA in the longest time.
This guy I once knew got so many telemarketing calls (on his cell, no less) that he took to answering the phone like a chicken. He'd just pick up the line and start immediately with the clucking noises. His friends all knew he did it, so they'd just say "Rob" and immediately he'd be like "buk buk buk.. Oh hey what's up." If the other person started laughing, or acting puzzled, he'd just step up the chicken noises. Funny and effective.
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
"Al Qaeda Network, this is Omar speaking, How may I help you?"
both would get you on the NSA Shitlist real fast...
nbfn