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Dave Barry Strikes Back Against Telemarketers
ikkonoishi writes "The Miami humor columnist Dave Barry in his column
here encouraged his readers to exercise their constitutional rights to call a telemarketing firm which had declared the National Do Not Call List unconstitutional. Well it seems to have worked." Needless to say, the targets of the prank were none so keen on being called themselves.
Dave has interfered with these people's ability to make a living. Indeed, he may well have cost a number of jobs with this article! At the end of the day, the innocent collateral damage is going to mean that many people don't eat because Dave went after another cheap laugh and went on the attack.
Do the ends justify the means? No. This is the kind of dangerous thinking that brings abortion clinic bombings, the ongoing fighting between northern and southern Ireland, the danger in the Middle East, and countless other bloodbaths.
Dave's had his fun and done his damage. Is this really something that needs to be worsened by giving ideas to the industrious- but idle-minded masses on slashdot? The damage can only be worsened here!
Laugh if you must, but sit back and don't make this any worse than it already is!
Let's not. You're interfering with people's livelihoods here. And by expressing the desire to /. (DDOS) the phone network, you've just made it a crime.
Keep in mind that even if you block caller ID, when you call an 800 number, your number is still immediately available to the receiving party and is logged and provided as a list at the end of the month, even if they don't pick up.
If these folks decide to sue for this kind of activity, this wouldn't be the first suck suit filed and won.
It's not o.k. to do the same wrong onto people which those people have done onto you.
Just because they annoy you, you can't harass them.
If it's illegal then leave the revenge to the goverment.
I mean otherwise it would be like shooting people who break into your home etc.
Owner of a Mensa membership card.
I'm taking a few moments to pray for you -- I can only guess that you are going through troubled times.
I work for a long distance company telemarketing. It's true that lots of people will lose their jobs over this list. People act like getting a telemarketer call is the end of the world. I mean I don't sell windows or cruises or anything stupid like that. I sell long distance service, and what better way to sell phone service than over the phone!
I love it when I call people who say they don't do business over the phone. I always ask them if they order pizzas, since that's doing business over the phone. Or how they got their phone line set up to begin with, chances are they had to call for that. I love it when people just press a bunch of buttons on the phone, thinking it hurts our ears or something. I love it when people yell and scream at me, not realizing I have their name, address, and phone number in front me. I love it when I call someone and they think its the biggest deal that I interupted their dinner. If they were so busy they shuoudn't have answered the phone. I love it when people tell me to get a real job, when chances are I make more money telemarketing than they do with their "real job."
Next time a telemaketer calls your house don't get mad that they interupted your dinner, everyone eats dinner at different times, and it's impossible to work around everyone's schedule. Before you yell at the telemarketer realize its usually a college or high school student trying to pay their way through school, or a single mother trying to feed their kid. Maybe if you just listen to them they will have something you are interested in, or you could save money on your long distance bill. If not, just tell them you arent interested and hang up. Last time I checked getting a phone call wasn't that big of a deal.