Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site machaids.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!machaids!ekb From: ekb@machaids.UUCP (Eric Bustad) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: Junk Phone Calls Message-ID: <822@machaids.UUCP> Date: Wed, 29-Feb-84 15:26:35 EST Article-I.D.: machaids.822 Posted: Wed Feb 29 15:26:35 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 06:50:12 EST References: <537@sdcsvax.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel NJ Lines: 32 It is interesting to compare Junk Phone Calls with Junk Mail. 1) A person can usually tell whether a piece of mail is Junk or not. This is not true of phone calls. 2) Junk Mail can be handled at my leisure. A Junk Phone call has to be answered immediately, since it might be an important call. 3) I can arrange not to receive mail by writing and having my name added to an official list. There is no way to do this for Junk Phone Calls. I don't think that it makes much difference whether the call is from a machine or from a human. All of the above points apply equally. There needs to be some way of automatically refusing both types of Junk Phone Calls. One method that occurs to me is to require those companies who use unsolicited sales calls to register with the Phone Company and have the Phone Company screen out calls from these companies to people who have requested this service. This would be an option similar in nature to some of the new call-waiting & etc. options now becoming available to phone users. However, it should be a no-charge option! The extra money required to pay for this (TANSTAAFL) should come from the companies who make these kinds of calls! -- = Eric Bustad (AT&T-BL, Holmdel NJ) (201)949-6257 ihnp4!machaids!ekb