Subject: From: Date:

RE: [ECS] I Hate Telemarketers! Martin Terry Sat, 29 Apr 2000 12:10:21 -0700

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Hi Michael,

I also have puzzled with the idea of how to deal with your problem.

I think I have have the solution in place - currently ECS can "intercept"
rings in my house and only allow the phone to ring when ECS allows. I
originally put this in place to keep my teenage girl from getting the phone
prior to CID info appearing between rings 1 and 2, so in all cases ECS
"swallows" the first ring.

After the first ring on most calls ringing is then enabled. At night, or
when I don't want to be disturbed, ECS blocks all ringing and takes a
message. Also, when the CID info matches my daughter, and she is not in, ECS
will take a message for her without the phones in the house ringing at all.

The heart of the ring blocking is a hand built device that's core component
is an 89 cent  full wave bridge rectifier. :)

I've often toyed with the idea of having ECS answer all "no CID info" calls
and prompt the called for a phone number, and look the number up in a table
or simply announce the provided number. Like you, the biggest hang up is
ringing the phone AFTER ECS has already answered it.

Initally I toyed with the idea of ECS simply playing a phone ringing sound
via the sound card, however I don't pump sound to all my phone locations.
Then I went as far as picking up a ring generator from a Telco friend of
mind, but I haven't had time to work on a hardware solution.

The whole concept really expanded in my head. For example, all my phones are
"home run", and with ECS controlling a ring generator, I could actually
select any phone to ring, or any combination. Also, with a little extra
(cheap) hardware, ECS could even determine WHERE I was by what phone I
answered, or could determine if anyone was home simply by ringing the phones
and waiting to see if someone picked up.

The possibilites are pretty endless. Now if I could just get this job off my
back to put it in motion. :)


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael David [mailto:michael@michaeldavid.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2000 11:46 AM
To: ecs-list@netbloc.com
Subject: [ECS] I Hate Telemarketers!


Hi Folks!

I'm looking for one of those boxes that silently answers the phone, plays a
message like:  "This number does not accept solicitations.  If you are a
solicitor, put us on your do not call list and hang up now.  Otherwise,
press 1 to continue."  After "1" is pressed, this box then rings the phones
in the house.

Anyone know where I can find such a box?  Although available in some areas,
out phone company doesn't provide such a service.

I'd love to do this type of thing with ECS, but I can't figure out how to
get ECS to put the caller on hold and ring the phones in the house when
appropriate.  Any ideas on how to do this?

Currently, I have ECS play the phone company's "<bee-bee-beep> The number
you have called <my phone number> is not in service, etc..." for
telemarketer's whose number ECS knows.  However, most show up as an out of
area call.  My defense to this has been to have ECS immediately answer all
out of area calls.  However, that still has the phone ringing all the time.

How have you guys dealt with this issue?

Cheers!

Michael David
michael@michaeldavid.com

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