bapat@uunet.uu.net (Subodh Bapat) (07/28/90)
Okay, after some discussion among friends we've hit upon a two-line method of beating Caller ID. This is for people who don't want to be harassed by telemarketing calls driven off Caller ID-generated databases. (And again, this is NOT intended to be a debate about merits/demerits of Caller ID and related public policy, but merely a hacker's response to it.) - Get two lines coming into your home. Designate one your "public" line and the other your "private" line. The private line is unlisted, the public line may be listed. - When you need to give out a number to any commercial organization (e.g. while writing a check) give out your public number. Disclose your private number only at your discretion (e.g. friends, relatives). - Get a two-line answering machine (or two one-line answering machines) and two one-line telephones. Set the telephone on your public line NEVER to ring, i.e. telemarketing calls will always be fielded by your answering machine. You therefore only pick up on calls received on your private line. - All outgoing calls are made ONLY on the public line. So now you don't care if "they" know what number you're calling from, since you're never going to answer when they call back. At the same time, friends/relatives can reach you in an emergency on your private line. And that long-lost college buddy who looks you up through information and calls your public number won't get you the first time, but if he leaves a message you can always get back to him. Anybody spot any flaws in the above scenario? Anybody wanna try to go one better? We were trying to work out a similar scheme with just one line with two numbers mapped to a distinctive ringing service, but couldn't quite hack it. We'd be interested in any cost-saving improvements to the above scheme :-). Subodh Bapat bapat@rm1.uu.net OR ...uunet!rm1!bapat MS E-204, PO Box 407044, Racal-Milgo, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33340 (305) 846-6068 [Moderator's Note: This seems to me to be a lot of work and expense merely to accomodate someone's paranoia about the possibility he may have to listen to two seconds of some sales pitch. I have two lines here, and various things going on, but it is because I need the second line, not because I'm afraid the phone might ring and I have to hang up on someone I don't want to listen to. PT]
clithero@ncar.ucar.edu (CLITHEROW PETER) (07/29/90)
I use a slightly easier version to avoid telemarketers. o two lines, one data, one "public" (might be unlisted) o make all outgoing calls from the data line. o pick up on "public" unlisted phone o incoming calls to the data phone will either get busy, or never be answered. (Sometimes, i pick up the phone and say "wrong number") pc
siegman@sierra.stanford.edu (siegman) (07/29/90)
I'm responding to the Moderator's comments here, not the original message. (You responded, you can listen to the responses!!). >[Moderator's Note: This seems to me to be a lot of work and expense >merely to accomodate someone's paranoia about the possibility he may >have to listen to two seconds of some sales pitch. I have two lines >here, and various things going on, but it is because I need the second >line, not because I'm afraid the phone might ring and I have to hang >up on someone I don't want to listen to. PT] Telemarketing calls break my train of thought when I'm deep in some calculation, or writing task. They interrupt our dinner hour. They shatter my relaxation when I'm out on the porch with a beer. They arrive when I'm trying to cope with a crying child (and waiting for a call I don't want to miss). I've never raised a fuss about junk mail; if the sender wants to pay for it fine -- I can cope with it at my leisure. But junk phone calls (i.e. telemarketing) should be outlawed. Paranoia indeed! (My reaction is to tell any phone solicitor -- including organizations I'd like to support -- that we absolutely boycott ANY organization making sales or solicitation calls to us.)
gordonl@microsoft.UUCP (Gordon LETWIN) (07/30/90)
In article <61552@bu.edu.bu.edu>, mailrus!uflorida!rm1!bapat@ uunet.uu.net (Subodh Bapat) writes: > - Get two lines coming into your home. Designate one your "public" line > and the other your "private" line. The private line is unlisted, the > public line may be listed. > - When you need to give out a number to any commercial organization > (e.g. while writing a check) give out your public number. > - All outgoing calls are made ONLY on the public line. I have two lines and use this approach. A lot of folks want to call me up and pitch me stuff - I'm on a lot of public lists as someone who donates to charities and uses brokers, etc. The unlisted private line and the listed public line works quite well. The listed answering machine outgoing message is "This answering machine is ALWAYS connected, so if you want to reach us you must leave a message". It rings a dozen times a day with no one leaving a message, so you know for a fact that these are junk calls editing themselves. This is the number you give out to businesses so they can call you when your widgit is ready, and this is the line that out of town or forgetful friends can find in the phone book to get in touch with you. We turn the ringer on during the day and our secretary takes the business calls; the ringer goes off otherwise. We very rarely get block dialed junk calls on our private line; the only garbage calls on the private line are from wrong numbers. And yes, we know about ANI so all 800 calls are made on the public line. True, you pay for two lines, but you get the above benefits, as well as a kind of "call waiting" - make your outgoing calls on the public line and you can still be called by friends on the private line, if you wish. Ditto modem calls on the public line, etc. gordon letwin [Moderator's Note: I've got a friend who has his answering machine on all the time, but in his case I think it is to avoid debt collectors rather than telephone sales people. His outgoing message says, "For your convenience, this phone is answered 24 hours per day by an answering machine ... " etc. For the caller's convenience, mind you! (smirk). PT]
toddi@yang.cpac.washington.edu (Todd Inch) (08/01/90)
In article <61567@bu.edu.bu.edu> CLITHEROW PETER <boulder!snoopy! clithero@ncar.ucar.edu> writes: >I use a slightly easier version to avoid telemarketers. >so incoming calls to the data phone will either get busy, or never >be answered. (Sometimes, i pick up the phone and say "wrong number") ^^^^^^^^^^^^ I really liked this one. How about "Thank you for calling the Anti-Telemarketing Hotline. You will be charged $20 for this first minute. Please have your VISA/MC/AmEx ready for billing subsequent minutes . . . " Todd Inch, System Manager, Global Technology, Mukilteo WA (206) 742-9111 UUCP: {smart-host}!gtisqr!toddi ARPA: gtisqr!toddi@beaver.cs.washington.edu