Blocked shots and blocked calls: The perfect combination for basketball bliss
It's the NBA Finals. You've been following your hometown team for over twenty years, and this is the first time they've made it to the big stage. You sit down, chips and drinks at the ready, and prepare for the tip-off. Then, the phone rings.
"Where do you get your daily news? If you're not getting it from---"
You hang up, disgusted that you missed the first shot of the game. A few minutes go by, and things are looking good. They're playing well on both sides of the ball, and---the phone rings again. You ignore it, refusing to get drawn into a pointless conversation with a telemarketer. Ten minutes pass, and the phone rings again with the same unknown number coming up on the caller ID.
"The game's on," you bark into the phone as you answer it and hang it up in one motion. You settle back in. Things are getting pretty close. You grab a chip for comfort.
Whether you're a basketball fan or you're just trying to have a nice family dinner, you know how annoying unwanted calls can be. Unfortunately, "do not call" lists and other tactics have failed to keep most Americans off telemarketers' radars, and many VoIP services are no better off than traditional landlines:
Last year, Fred Cohen predicted some of the problems VoIP users have had with unwanted calls:
"...small overseas call centers will violate the U.S. Do Not Call List with impunity. This comes on top of concerns about SPIT, or Spam over Internet Telephony. SPIT sends machine-generated voice calls to the phones or voicemail boxes of VoIP users..." (From Freedom to Tinker)
While marketing calls and SPIT in all its forms can be an annoyance, they can be handled, and you can guard against unwanted calls from more than just telemarketers. Ex won't stop calling to say how you two can still work things out? Boss bothering you at home on the weekend? Video Store hounding you about that charming romantic comedy you swear you're going to get around to watching? Ignore them:
Do Not Disturb
"Maybe you’re on an important call and don’t want to be interrupted or maybe you’re taking an afternoon siesta and don’t want your deep slumber disturbed – my people will make sure this never happens. With the Do Not Disturb feature, your calls will go straight to voice mail."
Next time you're watching your team march to victory in the finals for the first time or you're trying to finish that movie that's three weeks overdue, don't let the phone distract you.