[clug] [OT] why "Do Not Call" register?

[Alex Satrapa]

On 23/08/2007, at 10:31 , Robert Edwards wrote:

> Seems to me that the Dept. of Communications should require every
> organisation wanting to use unsolicited phonecalls to register their
> numbers onto a database and require them to enable Caller-ID.

I agree, it's farcical that someone (especially with a silent number)  
would need to publicise their number in order to prevent people from  
calling it. Put the shoe on the other foot - if you intend to use the  
phone service to contact people for the purpose of advertising  
business, conducting surveys or lobbying for political support (or  
raising awareness of a lobby group), you should be responsible for  
identifying yourself ahead of time to give people the opportunity to  
block your call.

Of course, the fact that it would cost me $6/month to enable Caller  
ID just for this purpose means that it's easier for me to simply  
screen all calls through my answering machine rather than either (a)  
register on the "Do Not Call" register, or (b) rely on a "cold caller  
register". Though it does beg the question as to why Caller ID is  
free on my "No Plan" Vodafone plan, but costs $6/month for non- 
Telstra home lines. But that's a topic for discussion some other day.

Alex