Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Thu, 11 Apr 91 12:16:18 EDT From: Tony Harminc Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Strange Phone Calls Message-ID: Organization: TELECOM Digest Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 287, Message 10 of 10 Lines: 31 In TELECOM Digest V11 #279, Mark Walsh writes: > Which brings up an interesting question that I have had. Yes, I too > find these most annoying. When the automated solicitors prompt you to > leave information on their machine, I leave a message consisting of an > incoherent diatribe of grotesque words and concepts. (The last one > had something to do with sexual activity.) Anyway, I know that > obscene phone calls are illegal, but what if you are not the > originator of the phone call? When I get an machine calling to ask 'survey' questions (like am I interested in aluminum storm windows) I usually use my 3-way calling to add a local religious recording to the connection (+1 416 483-4321). The preacher then bible-thumps to his heart's content and the caller's machine either records pieces of the Bible to fill in the blanks or - if it has a VOX - records the entire message (usually a couple of minutes). On a couple of occasions the Bible text has fitted the survey questions really well, and once the prompt asking for my name was filled perfectly by the preacher saying his name and church affiliation. Of course they have *my* phone number (since the machine knows what it dialled to reach me), but they have never called back to sell storm windows to the Reverend. I've given the ethics of this some thought, and I don't think I'm doing anything wrong. Disagreements ?