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Call Someone – Without Having To Talk To Them
waderoush writes "After a long beta period, Boston-based MobileSphere launched a 'straight-to-voicemail' service yesterday called Slydial. If you call 267-SLY-DIAL and listen to a short ad, you can then be connected to the voicemail inbox of any US mobile phone subscriber, without causing their phone to ring. Sounds kinda useful — but incredibly, MobileSphere is pitching the service as a way to avoid actually communicating with all those difficult, boring people in your life. In reply to suggestions that Slydial erodes and cheapens genuine human interaction, a MobileSphere exec says the company is just combating technology with technology, by helping people take control of whether and when to talk with their friends, family, and coworkers."
Their phone would ring too. This service is supposed to avoid that.
This feature would probably be most useful if you know the person can't be disturbed (ie. they're in a meeting). You could just slydial them and leave a nice descriptive message.
Actually, this can already be done on Verizon Wireless to Verizon Wireless calls, and maybe AT&T as well.
Dial your OWN voicemail, then once you get to the main menu, hit option 2 to send a message. It then asks you for the 10 digit mailbox number (which is the subscriber's phone number with area code), it says their recorded name, and allows you to leave a voicemail.
I've used this to try to determine who called me if they don't leave a message - the system will play their recorded clip of them reading their name.
Their phone would ring too. This service is supposed to avoid that.
I just tested out SlyDial against my cell phone and the phone did ring once. The caller ID also revealed the number as the one I used to call SlyDial. Not so sly after all.