National 'Do Not Call' Registry opens...

[zakur]

...and is quickly overwhelmed. FTC's donotcall.gov Site Overwhelmed (http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/2228941)

The Bush Administration, in association with the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, announced on Friday of the launch of DONOTCALL.GOV, also known as the Do Not Call Registry.

But as of press time there are signs that the government's new DONOTCALL.GOV Web site is not processing the thousands of attempted registrations due to load-balancing issues on their servers.

"There are a lot of people trying to do this online. We are aware of problems. But it is working. We just ask people to be patient. They have until Aug. 31 to register. They are not going to see instantaneous results," according to a FTC spokesperson.

A spokesperson for the FTC said at 12 PM EST on Friday there have been 370,000 confirmed phone and online registrations, up from 250,000 at 10:30 AM, just two hours after the DONOTCALL.GOV site went live.

"There was an onslaught. A huge number of people all decided to register at the same time. Even in our worst-case scenario, there is a lot more traffic than we expected and we are adding more servers to alleviate the congestion," the FTC spokesperson said.I registered my two phone numbers (home and cell) on the site this morning with no problems.

More on the launch of the service here (http://news.google.com/news? hl=en&edition=usa&q=donotcall).

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Fool that I am, I tried to register yesterday morning; and never received the confirmation email. It worked like a charm today, though.

http://www.donotcall.gov/

[Mike B.]

I registered too.

Hey maybe this is the good kind of government intervention that AUP talks about.

I mean if telemarketers are making money by getting one per a whole hell of a lot of callers, they will keep doing it. The market makes it work.

This way the government protects people like me...;)

[Jim_MDP]

Done and done. Gotta wait a few months for any effect though.

You realise how pissed we're going to be if this produces another e-mail list for the spammers?

:D

[Lemastre]

I figure if the telemarketers feel pressure from the new list, they'll find another way to insinuate their unwanted messages into our awareness. I just never pick up the phone unless the caller speaking to my answering machine is someone I need to speak with at that moment. Some marketers eventually catch on that I'm not going to pick up and stop calling. Not the fully computerized operations, though.

[shanek]

For 10¢/month extra on my phone bill, I have a "privacy guard" system where, whenever someone calls who does not register on Caller ID, they are forced to identify themselves and their company, and I hear who they are and get an option to accept or ignore the call. There's also a "sales reject" which will automatically instruct them to place me on their do-not-call list. Ever since I got this, I haven't been bothered by telemarketers.

This may be fixing a problem that has already been solved. Call your phone company and see if they have something similar.

[Philip]

Shane, I have BellSouth's equivalent called "Privacy Director", but it costs $1.95 per month here if you have the $29 per month "Complete Choice" plan. Privacy Director costs $5.95 per month if you don't have the Complete Choice plan.

What company provides your local phone service?

[corplinx]

Another brain-dead move by government. Instead of opting out, the default should be that you have to opt-in to receive unsolicited calls. Your local telephone provider can make it an option when you sign up for service.

[blackpriester]

Originally posted by corplinx
Another brain-dead move by government. Instead of opting out, the default should be that you have to opt-in to receive unsolicited calls. Your local telephone provider can make it an option when you sign up for service.

That's how it is in Germany for example.
It's illegal for a company to call a private person unsolicited.
Only if you (for example) partake in swepstakes and give them
your phone number on the entry form, are they allowed to call
you.

- m.

[blackpriester]

Originally posted by blackpriester


That's how it is in Germany for example.
It's illegal for a company to call a private person unsolicited.
Only if you (for example) partake in swepstakes and give them
your phone number on the entry form, are they allowed to call
you.

- m.

However, i used to have lots of fun talking to Telemarketers.
I always told them I'd order their s**t if they sent me a large
Anchovi Pizza RIGHT NOW.

Nooone followed through :(

[shanek]

Originally posted by Philip
Shane, I have BellSouth's equivalent called "Privacy Director", but it costs $1.95 per month here if you have the $29 per month "Complete Choice" plan. Privacy Director costs $5.95 per month if you don't have the Complete Choice plan.

What company provides your local phone service?

Actually, it's BellSouth...I have no idea why the pricing is different. Maybe I got it at a promotional price.

[shanek]

Originally posted by corplinx
Another brain-dead move by government. Instead of opting out, the default should be that you have to opt-in to receive unsolicited calls. Your local telephone provider can make it an option when you sign up for service.

But then they wouldn't be able to collect as much personal information! They do get to marry a phone number to an EMail address. I wonder what else that will be used for?

[BobK]

If you contact us by phone to be included in the National Do Not Call Registry, we will collect your phone number and store it in the registry so that telemarketers and sellers covered by the FTC's rules can remove your phone number from their call lists. If you contact us via the Internet, we also collect your email address to confirm your registration request. We will store your email address in a secure manner, separate from your telephone number. We will not share your email address with telemarketers. Telemarketers are required to search the registry every three months and delete from their call lists phone numbers that are in the registry. Phone numbers in the registry may also be shared with law enforcement to assure compliance with federal and state law.

In other circumstances, including requests from Congress, Freedom of Information Act requests from private individuals or companies, during litigation, for routine agency uses subject to the Privacy Act, or under our access and public record rules, we may be required or authorized by law to disclose the information you provide.


Above info snipped from here (http://www.donotcall.gov/privacy/privacy.aspx)

From the second paragraph it appears the gov. may have to release your information under the FOI act to individuals or companies and I'm sure Homeland Security will probably find a reason to troll through the info also.

Why do they have to retain your email address? After verification the address should no longer be necessary. Although they say it will be stored separately from your phone number they don't say it won't be linked to your phone number.

[shanek]

Originally posted by BobK
Why do they have to retain your email address? After verification the address should no longer be necessary. Although they say it will be stored separately from your phone number they don't say it won't be linked to your phone number.

Exactly!

I can store completely different data sets in completely different places, and still have a method of linking them together. It happens in computers all the time. That's the basis of a relational database.

[American]

Will it work for family members and girls I don't like? They're worse.

[Ladyhawk]

BobK makes an interesting point....however, let me just say that I think the registry is a good idea. It's just that I have a lot more fun actually taking calls from telemarketers. Sometimes, I really enjoy it. For example, I like to let them go through their whole sales speech (let's use 'roofing' for example) and then I do my best disappointed sigh and proceed to tell them how I wish they'd called just one month ago, because I just got my roof re-done! (I do the same for window sales, carpet cleaning, magazine subscriptions, etc.) Whatever they're selling, I just got it ...get it?

Sometimes I like to make them repeat parts of the speech...I'll deliberately take up their time and ask stupid questions.... "Oh? Just $5.99 a month? Is that the same for a month that has 28 days as one that has 30 or 31?" See, they're on the clock and they don't want to spend a lot of time with you since they're on commission.

I'm not rude. I just mess with them. And, on occasion when I'm short on time, I either simply say "no thanks" and tell them not to call again or (try this one) I tell them I'm on another call. They don't know if I have call-waiting or not...;)

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by corplinx
Another brain-dead move by government. Instead of opting out, the default should be that you have to opt-in to receive unsolicited calls. Your local telephone provider can make it an option when you sign up for service.

I think you can put this down to the pressure from the tele marketers.

I do notice they have an 'out' though. The government has allowed charities and other organisations the right to call. I can see a lot of 'charities' getting a lot of new work very soon.