Robo-Calls - Modern Irritant or the End of Civilization as We Know It?

Saturday, October 18, 2008
I've been getting robo-calls for weeks, exhorting me to vote for this candidate or that candidate, to vote for this ballot initiative or against that one. Depending on the subject matter, the voice is either that of a man with sonorous undertones, predicting the end of life, the universe and everything if I don't vote for their candidate, or that of a woman sweetly informing me that if I don't vote for Colorado Amendment 48 I'm a baby killer who's going to burn, burn, burn.

Well. Not so much, robo-caller.

In the bad old days, when political activists called you to convince you their candidate or issue was of VITAL IMPORTANCE, it was an actual human being calling, one who cared enough about the issue to give up their own time to canvas on his/her/its behalf. While still irritating, it was at least understandable and somewhat admirable. These folks were committed and involved in our democracy, and I could appreciate their dedication, if not their interruption of my family dinner.

Now, they only have to program a predictive dialer system and play their VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE into the ear of the unsuspecting callee, or into your unsuspecting answering machine or voicemail. Make no mistake - predictive dialer technology is expensive. So I suspect these dialer campaigns are being financed either by the parties or by some sleazy 527 with a ton of money and an axe to grind.

Either way, I'm not interested in their "message." The end of civilization, indeed.

5 comments:

Jerry Critter said...

Robo-calls are irritating no matter which candidate they are supporting. I think the most irritating calls are actually by one candidate supporting the other, such as McCain putting out an offensive call in support of Obama, rather than for himself, figuring he will get the voter pissed off at Obama.

Janiece said...

See? Civilization as we know it, ending.

Gotta love the Rovian tactics...on both sides.

vince said...

I've been getting robo-calls here as well. But caller ID and voice mail are my friend.

Jeri said...

I got three 800 number calls on Friday too, ignored them all. At least they're complying with regulations and not blocking caller ID. :P

Why, oh why, is charitable and political soliciting not a do not call blockable activity? Argh.

mom in northern said...

Question for all you make believe scientist and
techno wizards out there.

Isn't there any technology out there we could use,
such as pressing the pound key, that would send
a return signal back that would act as Molotov cocktail and
simply destroy there equipment?

Revenge is mine sayith all the gods...