I heard a spokesman on the news today saying something to the effect of
people signed up for no call lists so they wouldn't have their dinner interrupted with solicitations for ginsu knives. They never intended to be deprived of information.They were mainly talking here about political robo calls, calling them "information".
I want to be perfectly clear why I signed up for No Call:
I don't want to be called. By anyone other than friends, family, a neighbor in need, or to be informed of an emergency. Period.
My phone is a personal communications device for which I pay. A telephone is by nature a high-priority interrupt. When you ring my telephone, you have in effect barged in to my home. You had better be welcomed here. If you are, it's not a problem. This is because when it rings, I feel compelled to answer it. It is likely a friend or family member or someone informing me of some emergency. Telephone solicitors understand this and take advantage of it.
The only other exception would be if someone I have established a buisiness relationship with and something comes up concerning that relationship requires action on my part. And it had better be important. That's the nature of the tool. It is not for you to advertise your product or candidate or issue to me. It is not there for you to solicit donations from me. It's my telephone, not yours. These people take advantage of social protocols of politeness on the telephone to further keep us on the phone once we have answered. It is rude.
If you would like to inform me on the issues or solicit donations or sell me something, send me paper. Paper is a low-priority interrupt. I look at it when I have time. If I've given you my email address, you may send me email.
The spokesperson said they have "no way of knowing" if we want political calls or not. Not true at all. They could ask. They could take a survey (a paper one). But they don't, because they know what the answer is - and they don't like it.
No means no.
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