On 12/22/2015 12:51 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
On 12/21/2015 10:40 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/21/2015 8:56 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
I'd imagine the worse problem would be a machine waiting until the
*eighth* ring to pick up -- at which point, many may have abandoned
the call (and you've no record of it).
You have the caller ID record.
If the machine -- and the subscriber -- have CID! :
It's a very useful thing to have. Yes, junk callers do spoof the number you see
on caller ID, but the seldom take the time to find one of the few that could
really fool you. CID is still useful.
BTW, answering machines may not have CID. That appears to be a phone function.
Yes. But for most folks, CID means you have to interact with the
phone when it is ringing -- to see *who* is calling ("Do I want to
answer this?") As I don't want to have to acknowledge the
"interruption" (that the ringing phone represents), my only solution
is to silence the ringer and defer interaction until some time when it
is more convenient for me.
This is where email excels -- I can overnight -- rearrange who has
access to me via email. Not so with the phone (I can't change my
phone number without involving TPC!)
So, I can monitor particular email accounts based on the sorts of
people with which I might want to interact at any given time
(e.g., don't watch the email account that friends use if I'm
busy working but *do* watch the one associated with business
contacts).
My goal has been to come up with a scheme whereby the "watching"
can be done by something intelligent -- the equivalent of a
"secretary" -- so I need only specify the criteria that are
important to me at any given time (e.g., I'm asleep! I sure
as hell don't want to be disturbed by a friend calling to chat!)
Isn't technology wonderful??! :
I have my answering machine set to answer after 2 rings. Almost all
the calls I
get now on the home phone are junk calls (caller ID shows city, state
like
"AUSTIN TX" or "TOLL FREE CALL" in most cases). I won't answer unless
I see a
familiar caller ID, and in that case will be holding the phone and can
answer
quickly.
Ours is set to 2 rings but the ringer is turned off. We try to look
at the machine every day or two to see if anyone called AND waited through
the outgoing message (if they hang up before then, the machine doesn't
record the call -- so we see no notification).
I'm about to do that (turn off the ringer). There's just too many of those
annoying calls.
Yup. There are some times when we are waiting a "call back" from
a friend, provider, etc. In even those narrow windows (where we
have to actively be prepared to interact with the phone) it is amazing
how many "hang up" calls come in (folks who encountered the outgoing
message and aborted the call).
BTW, I also never answer calls from charities. If I did I feel like saying "I'm
not your ATM" and hanging up.
SWMBO is slowly beginning to understand my preference for "anonymous
giving"; cut a cashier's check for the amount you want to give,
save the receipt and then mail the check with no return address.
Worst case, the check gets lost in the mail (but never cashed
by anyone other than the intended recipient).
Regardless, there's no trail BACk to you from the charity. No way
they can spend THAT money trying to get MORE MONEY from you!
I.e., think of it as doing them a FAVOR by cutting that potential
expenditure! :
Folks that want to get in touch with us use email or the front door.
Cuts down on the "nuisance contacts" as very few junk callers are
willing to come to the door *or* know any of our email addresses! :
There's also cell phones. AFAIK, most allow you to assign a different ringtone
to a specific number. You may even be able to make others silent. Then you know
which calls to ignore.
I refuse to carry a cell phone (other than one with no service for a
"911 phone" -- or, one to use solely as a portable WiFi terminal!)
If I need to make a call, I can *find* a phone. Somewhere. If
someone needs to get in touch with me, they can leave me a voice message
or an email and I'll get back to them. Rarely is anything THAT
important that it needs to be addressed IMMEDIATELY.
"Your failure to plan ahead does not obligate me to respond immediately"