[MizSterious]

What a stupid comment. There are times, unfortunately, when I must answer the phone. When it turns out to be some bozo "telemarketing" it just infuriates me. Many times I'm able to let the machine pick it up--but there are others when I really have to answer the phone. The telemarketers live for those times, I swear.

On the other hand, as I said before, if they think they'll sell something to me, they're sadly mistaken. No one likes to buy something from someone who's a nuisance. I would think they'd welcome the no call list, since it saves them lots of time (and probably money) calling people who do not want to be annoyed by such calls.

[Conservababe]

What a stupid comment. There are times, unfortunately, when I must answer the phone.

See post #39. That is business making your life more ordered and convenient, not government.

But, of course, you want it free...from your government.

I am sorry, but I just have to laugh.

[Bonaparte]

At least 80% of telemarketing calls are auto-dialed by a machine that follows a list of numbers. If you pick up the call, the machine very quickly signals a salesperson who then comes onto your line and harangues you.

However, if you record the first tone of the phone company's famous 3-tone disconnect signal and put it at the beginning of your answering machine's outgoing message, the telemarketer's machine is programmed to disconnect from your line, delete your number from its list and proceed to the next victim. Your friends who leave messages won't be affected by this. But the telemarketing autodialers will be.

Here's the layout.