Do-Not-Call Registry

[Moogie]

<b><i>Hundreds of thousands sign on for 'do-not-call' registry</b></i> <br><br><table width="90%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="1" bordercolor="#63635A" bgcolor="#E7E7E2" align="center"><tr><td style="font-size: 12px; font-style: italic;">(CNN) -- The federal government Friday launched a national "do-not-call" registry aimed at stopping most telemarketing phone calls to people who regard the sales pitches as invasive and want them blocked. </td></tr></table><br><br>Here is the article in <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/06/27/do.not.call/index.html"><b>full</b></a>.<br><br>I think this is something that is WAYYYYYYYYY overdue. Will any of you be signing up for this service? Do you feel that telemarketers have the right to make calls? Are those of you who live outside the US plagued by telemarketers.<br><br>I've posted a <a href="http://www.free-dc.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3422"><b>poll</b></a> over in the lobby. Take a peek and vote!<br>

[Darkness Productions]

It's just too bad that the server is getting so slammed it's not funny. Heard on the news 1000 visits per second... Many major sites can't even claim that.......

[Moogie]

That just shows you how widespread the problem really is. :(

[PY 222]

I have registered my home telephone number and my cellphone number but have yet to receive the confirmation email.

I guess they must be very very borged down!

[Richard Clyne]

We have had a simular service in the United Kingdom for a few years. It does not work 100%. You still get telemarketing salespeople who ignore the list.

On a slightly different road. Over here companies are moving their call centres to countries where labour is cheaper. So now when they call while your eating your dinner or watching your fav tv prog, it takes twice as long to get rid of them, because you have to get them to repeat everything they are saying.:swear:

[Moogie]

Hmmmm....now that would really be a pain. Having someone interrupt you dinner and try to sell you something, while not being proficient in your language.

That would go over really well.

NOT!

:fireboun:

[PY 222]

Just an update regarding this!

I have received all three emails for all three telephone numbers that I have registered.

Schwwweeet!

[Hinton]

In Denmark, where I live, the only form of SPAM thats even legal is bulk mail. You can however optain a sticker from the mail office that you can put on your mailbox, and the mailman wont give you any bulk mail.

Its forbidden to call people if you don't allready have an established business with them, its forbidden to email people unless the same, its forbidden to Fax people unless the same, its forbidden to SMS people unless the same etc. etc.

And frankly, I am tired of you americans, all the spam I recieve is from companies in the USA. And you guys are a bunch of sheep for allowing this to continue.


I don't have the least bit of symphati for any american about the spam mail or phonecalls you'll continue to recieve (the donotcall list doesn't cover insurance agencies, phonecompanies, airlines, etc. etc. etc.), its your own fault. You lie in the bed that you made for yourself.

Now go out and vote for a president, and pretend like you have democracy.

[Moogie]

As an American, I feel your pain. I WISH we had stricter laws on things such as telemarketing, as well as Spam. But we don't. At least not at the moment.

I see this as a step in the right direction. I also hope we don't take all of this in the wrong direction. Strong restrictons tend to limit freedom of thought. Government regulation of speech of any kind is a dangerous thing. There are times when it is necessary but it should be approached with a great deal of caution. This has been debated for quite some time.

I'm not of the mind that the whole American populaton sends out spam or calls people during family time to try to sell them something. That being said, IMO, your statments were a bit harsh. It's not fair to categorize all, for the actions of a few.

[cygnussphere]

Originally posted by Hinton

And frankly, I am tired of you americans, all the spam I recieve is from companies in the USA. And you guys are a bunch of sheep for allowing this to continue.


I don't have the least bit of symphati for any american about the spam mail or phonecalls you'll continue to recieve (the donotcall list doesn't cover insurance agencies, phonecompanies, airlines, etc. etc. etc.), its your own fault. You lie in the bed that you made for yourself.

Now go out and vote for a president, and pretend like you have democracy.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Hinton]

Originally posted by Moogie
I'm not of the mind that the whole American populaton sends out spam or calls people during family time to try to sell them something. That being said, IMO, your statments were a bit harsh. It's not fair to categorize all, for the actions of a few.

I am sure that there is Danes that would spam Danes, Americans, and everyone else if they were allowed too. But they're not, because the people of Denmark has made it illigal, and when it happends a few times, the offending party is fined beyond what they could earn by sending out the spam.

The reason I blame americans as a people is that its your fault that it is legal and happening the country you live in. Normally I could care less, as has been my stance after the Iraq war, what toil the population in USA must live through. But when the apathy in USA harms the rest of the world it only to expect that people outside USA reacts.

Its a joke that theres an article that rejoices about a nocall list, that still makes it legal for _all_ the companies and organisations to call people _on_ the nocall list.

This is ofcourse not relevant to me, as theese people do not call me. But that americans celebrate a false victory in the spam area, is just another example of the inability of the american people to affect or understand the politics that affects the country they live in, and I'm sorry to say when it comes to spam, the rest of the world.

edit: Violation of free thought, restrictions. This is companies that are spamming people. Whats next, say its a violation of people freedom to not be allowed to shoot other people?

What about the guy who gets interrupted constantly by telemarketers? Does he not have rights? Total freedom for everyone is a joke, the freedom of some people, is a violation of other peoples rights.

[Dyyryath]

I agree that this isn't a total fix, but I wouldn't call it a false victory, either. It's a step in the right direction, and that's a good thing for us. ;)

Additionally, as an American, I can assure you that I don't feel like I need your concern or sympathy for the 'toil' that I go through by being an American, so I guess that works out OK. I've never been to Denmark, so perhaps I really am missing out on a better system and a better way of doing things, but even if I was sure that was the case, I'd probably be inclined to stay and try to fix this one rather than move over there. There are a great many things that I dislike about my country and it's laws. Some of those things I can work toward fixing, some I can't, but on the whole I'm happy being here and I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else in the world. :cool:

One of these days when I'm back over there for a bit, I'll have to come by and see Denmark. I wonder if I'll find it the shining example of democracy that you describe it to be? I have heard that it's a very nice country...

[Moogie]

Originally posted by Hinton
I am sure that there is Danes that would spam Danes, Americans, and everyone else if they were allowed too. But they're not, because the people of Denmark has made it illigal, and when it happends a few times, the offending party is fined beyond what they could earn by sending out the spam.

I would agree with you there. I think the US needs to adhere to a stricter policy regarding spammers as well as unsolicited telemarketing calls. The problem comes with making the decision of where we place the line? Who do we want to make those decisions? The government? Given the state that we are in now, I'm not all that sure there would be any change if it were left up to them. Think special interest groups and the polically correct ways of doing things that have caused us to have an ever increasing restrictive government over the last 40 years or so.


The reason I blame americans as a people is that its your fault that it is legal and happening the country you live in. Normally I could care less, as has been my stance after the Iraq war, what toil the population in USA must live through. But when the apathy in USA harms the rest of the world it only to expect that people outside USA reacts.

Again, it's not America as a whole that is causing the problem, but a select group. To me, you blaming American's for spam is like me blaming the Japenese for WWII. Did everyone in Japan make the decision to bomb Pearl Harbor? I'm not sure that I would agree with you the Americans are apathetic, though I can see how you would view us as that way. I can point to many instances in which there have been many to rally against the use of spam and do-not-call lists. Now, one of them is about to be put into place. Will it work? Only time will tell. Hopefully, the violoaters will be prosecuted but since it is not in place yet, we will have to wait and see.


Its a joke that theres an article that rejoices about a nocall list, that still makes it legal for _all_ the companies and organisations to call people _on_ the nocall list.

I believe that the purpose of the no-call-list is something that is going to attempt to make it illegal.


This is ofcourse not relevant to me, as theese people do not call me. But that americans celebrate a false victory in the spam area, is just another example of the inability of the american people to affect or understand the politics that affects the country they live in, and I'm sorry to say when it comes to spam, the rest of the world.

You are lucky they don't call you. :) We haven't celebrated yet. We're still waiting to see what happens when it takes affect.


edit: Violation of free thought, restrictions. This is companies that are spamming people. Whats next, say its a violation of people freedom to not be allowed to shoot other people?

That's why I said we need to be careful just how much we restrict and what. We are in agreement there.


What about the guy who gets interrupted constantly by telemarketers? Does he not have rights? Total freedom for everyone is a joke, the freedom of some people, is a violation of other peoples rights.

I think freedom of thought and expression is our right as an American citizen. But, there is a limit to the things (behaviors/actions) that take place. I agree, some of those actions are a violation of other people's rights. Is it my right to murder someone? No. Is it my right to voice my opinions about my government? Yes. It's a gray line and I have no idea where we would need to draw it.

In any case, I'm enjoying this thread. It's always nice to debat one's beliefs in a civilized manner.

:thumbs:

[Dyyryath]

In the most simplistic terms, I tend to feel like personal freedoms should end where they begin to affect another person. I generally don't feel like it should be within the government's power to do things 'for my own good', so long as I'm not affecting those around me.

Unfortunately, as Moogie's pointed out, there is rarely a case where it's clear cut. Someone will always find a way to say that what you're doing affects others.

There's a group of people here in North Carolina that have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get the motorcycle helmet laws dropped. While I don't really get involved, I will sign the occasional petition that comes by the shop where I work. I simply don't feel like the government should force me to wear a helmet. Now, having said that, let me also say that anyone who rides a motorcycle without one is an idiot, and you'd never catch me doing it, law or no law. However, not wearing one doesn't endanger anyone but the person involved. It seems pretty clear cut....

That of course is just the beginning, though. What about insurance rates? They'd probably increase for all riders if the law didn't exist because insurance companies wouldn't know who would or wouldn't wear one. What about the increased possibility that riders with no helmet would leave behind family members (children, especially) who would have to depend on government help to survive? What about the increased possibility of riders requiring medical attention that their insurance & income couldn't cover? At what point do the "what if's" become too far-fetched to warrant consideration?

There is always a grey area, no matter how simple something seems. It sucks, but that's just how it is. Deciding where to draw the line is always going to be an imperfect science, and I don't think any country or government has figured out a way to do it right every time.