Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!nuchat!moray!siswat!buck
From: buck@siswat.UUCP (A. Lester Buck)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Computer phone soliciters
Summary: Japanese ideas for phone revenge
Message-ID: <372@siswat.UUCP>
Date: 14 Jan 89 17:59:43 GMT
References: <3366@sdsu.UUCP> <3735@attcan.UUCP> <473@gandalf.littlei.UUCP>
Organization: Photon Graphics, Houston
Lines: 44

> In article <3735@attcan.UUCP> hjespers@attcan.UUCP (Hans Jespersen) writes:
> >In article <3366@sdsu.UUCP> roetzhei@sdsu.UCSD.EDU (William Roetzheim) writes:
> >>week!  Any suggestions for how to wreck havoc with a computer solicitor?
> >If they leave a return phone number you could always set up your modem 
> >to give them a call (say every minute on the minute for an hour). Such

Gosh, what is on those computer calls?  I have NEVER listened to one.
It takes approximately 0.5 second to figure out it is not a human
and hang up.  End of interrupt processing, back to productive work.
Anything else and they win by putting you in a bad mood or wasting
time thinking of revenge.

Ok, I did listen to one once that filled my answering machine for
a few minutes with questions to a survey, followed by BEEEEEPPP to
indicate where I was to answer.  And there is a bill I pay quarterly
that is due monthly, and once their computer called with a message
"Please hold for an operator from XYZ, we will be with you momentarily".
Almost died laughing listening to the operator's response when only
my answering machine was there...

But, if you are determined to fight back, here are descriptions of
two products that are available in Japan, from an article entitled
"Now, Why Didn't I Think of That?" in the January 1989 "Sales
& Marketing Management" (don't ask how I was reading that...):

	A Machine That Takes on Obscene Callers

	How do you deal with unwanted phone calls, including heavy
	breathers and telephone marketers?  Change your number?  
	No.  Sony's Telephone Keyboard answering machine offers
	prerecorded fight-back messages.  Access any message by
	selecting a key when you pick up the phone.  Press one key
	and a threatening male voice yells out, "What the ----
	do *you* want?!"  Press another key and the ear of the
	offending party gets shot with a blast of 100 decibels.
	Cost: Y17,000 (about 130Y/$).

	The Revenge Telephone (also by Sony) uses an integrated
	circuit to repeat an obscene message at a caller for as
	long as he is on the line.


-- 
A. Lester Buck		...!uhnix1!moray!siswat!buck