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."

Comments

Voice Messaging

[duerra]

Voice messaging is a lot easier and less dangerous than text messaging, and we do that all the time. I see nothing wrong with this, and in fact was just talking about this idea with some friends a few months ago. What with the iPhone's visual voice mail, I think this is good for the times when you want to quickly leave a person a message without wanting to disturb them, instead of sending them a text message. Now more phones need an easy interface for picking which voice messages you want to listen to.

Re:What's the point?

[ystar]

"Hey boss! Sorry I'm leaving ANOTHER message! Working from home today as usual. Are you out of town? I've called three times today but you must be in an area without coverage. I really need to talk with you about some implementation specifics before I can start coding." (goes back to sleep)

It's not necessarily antisocial, just practical

[Kelbear]

It's another tool in the handbag of communication and ettiquette.

Visits being the highest priority and inconvenience.
Phonecalls being the next step down in priority and inconvenience.
Voicemail.
E-mail.
IM.

Use the appropriate tool for the level of urgency. Bothering everybody with a visit on your timetable is extremely disruptive to THEIR timetable, so it should only be done when it's called for.

Telemarketing will probably make use of this..

[hipresha]

You will never be able to get the telemarketing people off your back then, since they now can fill up your voicemail with their messages without having to experience that you hang up on them.

Great idea!

[ErichTheRed]

I'm sure anyone in IT can relate to the concept of someone you'd rather not talk to, but have to leave a message for. I have several people like this that I need to work with. Having a conversation with them is like root canal therapy sometimes. Being able to leave them messages and not actually speak to them would definitely lower my daily stress levels.

Call me anti-social, but these people could drive anyone nuts.

Not exactly correct.

[khasim]

Send email to xyz: "Dood, wanna join the party? It's, like, gonna be awesome!!!"

Yep.

Send SMS to xyz: "Hey, chk ur email"

Yep.

Then send the vmail to xyz: "Have your checked your SMS?"

Nope. More like:
"uhh hh hhh uh dood? I uh hh huh h mmmmmmm wanted to callyouabouttheparty and uh uh uh uh the party is ...."

Repeat for about 10 minutes.

I HATE voice-mail because almost no one knows how to leave a message CORRECTLY.

Correct method:
"Hi! This is *name* at *call back number* and I wanted to talk to you about *subject*. Once again, this is *name* at *call back number* calling about *subject*. Bye!"

Incorrect method 1:
"Hi! This is *name*. Call me."
Unless you are the girlfriend/boyfriend. Then it is allowable.

Incorrect method 2:
"Hi! About the thing that blah blah blah blah blah *ten minutes pass* blah blah blah bl" Cut off by message limit timer.

I prefer email and text because it takes MORE effort to type in excess material than voice-mail does.

Erodes and cheapens?

[taustin]

Slydial erodes and cheapens genuine human interaction . . .

No, what erodes and cheapens genuine human interaction is being so boring that your friends would rather talk to your voicemail than to you.

meetings? silence your phone

[Animaether]

Seriously, if they are in a meeting - or elsewhere where a ringing phone is frowned upon - have them silence the thing.

But I'm sure the marketing people will love this. Now they can 'call' you while circumventing a ton of provisions, including telling them to stop calling you right in the very phone call. .. not to mention kids and pranksters.

I'd check my contract on the services rendered by my provider to see if this can be blocked.

Re:Verizon

[urcreepyneighbor]

Next time it happens, how about saying along the lines of: Yeah, sorry, I dialed a wrong number and I didn't know what to say. Awkward, you know?

The person will be shocked by your honesty.