• Lack of a "capped service cost" plan (mitigated somewhat by monthly pre-paid service).
• Contracts.
• Lack of built-in call screening. I'd like to be able to 1) classify contacts by group, and 2) specify what group(s) can ring through, at what time(s) and/or locations.
• Visual voicemail by default. Without invoking another data surveillance provider.
• Lack of / painfulness of disabling add-on / additional fee services. My phone is not a marketplace and never fucking will be.
Honestly? I've all but given up on the idea of telephony at all. Give me email (with all its warts) or postal mail. At least the people who want to reach me have to put some effort (and cost) into it. VOIP over computer or tablet should fully replace telco phone service in fairly short order.
I'd also like to be able to sign up for an up-to-date number blocklist, run by the community and not the phone company or handset manufacturer, so that most phone spam/scams just don't ever get through.
Oh, and I should be able to tell my phone to auto block any number that doesn't have caller id.
" Lack of built-in call screening. I'd like to be able to 1) classify contacts by group, and 2) specify what group(s) can ring through, at what time(s) and/or locations."
That's not really a conflict of interest, but rather a core part of their business model. I got some spam from my local post office advertising how you can just drop off some spam, unaddressed, and they'll just shove it in everyone's mailbox.
It would be a conflict of interest if the postal service said "we hate spam" or something, but they don't, so I don't see the conflict.
That's such a brilliant idea that it already works this way in most of Europe :-) call starts with "this number costs X per minute in addition to the costs of your normal plan" if you disconnect during that message you're not charged the extra fees.
Comments
Isn't there any way to tell the telephone provider you never want to connect to a pay for service so they just wont let the call go through?
Features that have made me hate my phone:
• Excessively high monthly fees.
• NSA / PRISM and other forms of surveillance.
• Lack of a "capped service cost" plan (mitigated somewhat by monthly pre-paid service).
• Contracts.
• Lack of built-in call screening. I'd like to be able to 1) classify contacts by group, and 2) specify what group(s) can ring through, at what time(s) and/or locations.
• Visual voicemail by default. Without invoking another data surveillance provider.
• Lack of / painfulness of disabling add-on / additional fee services. My phone is not a marketplace and never fucking will be.
Honestly? I've all but given up on the idea of telephony at all. Give me email (with all its warts) or postal mail. At least the people who want to reach me have to put some effort (and cost) into it. VOIP over computer or tablet should fully replace telco phone service in fairly short order.
I'd also like to be able to sign up for an up-to-date number blocklist, run by the community and not the phone company or handset manufacturer, so that most phone spam/scams just don't ever get through.
Oh, and I should be able to tell my phone to auto block any number that doesn't have caller id.
" Lack of built-in call screening. I'd like to be able to 1) classify contacts by group, and 2) specify what group(s) can ring through, at what time(s) and/or locations."
This is possible with Google Voice just fyi.
Violates the next condition.
I'm a little confused by this one:
• Lack of a "capped service cost" plan (mitigated somewhat by monthly pre-paid service).
What makes this a "somewhat"? Isn't that exactly what pre-paid service gives you?
Even with a capped price-per-month plan, my options for setting specific caps on types of costs are limited.
Seems like that would raise the same conflict of interest as wanting the post office to stop delivering spam: "but that makes us money".
That's not really a conflict of interest, but rather a core part of their business model. I got some spam from my local post office advertising how you can just drop off some spam, unaddressed, and they'll just shove it in everyone's mailbox.
It would be a conflict of interest if the postal service said "we hate spam" or something, but they don't, so I don't see the conflict.
He's saying it would be a conflict of interest if they offered some sort of service to not get spam.
What happens if you're on a prepaid mobile plan and you try to call one of these numbers? Does it fail to connect?
Maybe they bill you later.
No, that would be too simple and logically. We're talking about telcos here.
Even better if there was a short menu prompt telling you the price if you want to connect, to give you the option to decline.
That's such a brilliant idea that it already works this way in most of Europe :-) call starts with "this number costs X per minute in addition to the costs of your normal plan" if you disconnect during that message you're not charged the extra fees.
Just like collect calls!
You can in Australia.