Technology Article of the Time Period
Jan. 6th, 2007 06:43 pmThe New York Times brings us this article about "social numbers." The premise is that people don't want to give out their cell number, so instead they sign up for a "social number" that goes straight to a voice mail box they can check.
I had two thoughts about this article. My first thought (and I'm ashamed that this was the first one) was that they're missing a market: people without cell phones who don't want to give out their home phone numbers. Yeah, I know, crazy, but there are some of us without cell phones.
The article quotes the founder of one of these services who says, "Having a number that goes straight to voice mail is less intrusive," which leads to my second thought: don't answer the phone. Seriously. You do not have to take every call that comes through. There's a reason we have voice mail and answering machines.
I had two thoughts about this article. My first thought (and I'm ashamed that this was the first one) was that they're missing a market: people without cell phones who don't want to give out their home phone numbers. Yeah, I know, crazy, but there are some of us without cell phones.
The article quotes the founder of one of these services who says, "Having a number that goes straight to voice mail is less intrusive," which leads to my second thought: don't answer the phone. Seriously. You do not have to take every call that comes through. There's a reason we have voice mail and answering machines.