What to do with telemarketeers/journalists when bored

[dZeus]

I was bored, and suddenly a journalist contacted me by ICQ (probably because I have entered *grin* GAMBIA *grin* as the place where I live in ICQ). I was very bored, and even to bored to answer his questions. So I thought of a way to get rid of him. I'll just post the ICQ messahe history of what happened:

dZeus 05/22/20 17:19 hello
crav 05/22/20 17:20 hello My name is Rodrigo Craveiro and I am a brazilian journalist Does exist some important event which agroup teens in your city?
dZeus 05/22/20 17:21 well, what do you mean with a important event? a disco? a disaster ? (Note: The firework explosion 2 miles from my home in Enschede the Netherlands just happened last week)
crav 05/22/20 17:22 anythinh which agroup teenagers as a meeting, a show or something
dZeus 05/22/20 17:22 well, lot's of. Far more than I can count
crav 05/22/20 17:23 tell me examples, please
dZeus 05/22/20 17:23 stand up comedian shows, parties with dicos, sport events, just anything....
dZeus 05/22/20 17:24 I meant discos when I said dicos
crav 05/22/20 17:24 what are the best discos >?
dZeus 05/22/20 17:25 I don't like disco music, so I am not really fond of them.
crav 05/22/20 17:25 what do you like?
Gimme examples of best things to do in your city
dZeus 05/22/20 17:26 I like to go out with people who I study with, and drink lots of bear with them in cafés, and have a good time.
crav 05/22/20 17:27 what are the best places to go in your city? (Note: Now I thought, let's make the conversation a bit more interesting)
dZeus 05/22/20 17:28 There are many cafés I like, and there also are hashbars, where they have good weed and hash. I don't really favor one above another, because many are great
crav 05/22/20 17:29 what is weed and hash?
dZeus 05/22/20 17:30 drugs, just like alcohol. Weed is called grass in the United States I think... I'm not sure what Hash is called (Note: Now I thought, let's make it even better :-)
dZeus 05/22/20 17:30 Not many people know of it, that's why I still not am arrested
crav 05/22/20 17:31 do you sell this?
dZeus 05/22/20 17:31 No, I only buy
dZeus 05/22/20 17:34 are you still there?

Note: The conversation suddenly ended. I thought the journalist would be very interested when I started to talk about drugs.... obviously not.

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Well, we have the 566, the 600, both by Intel, and the 666, made in the 4th circle of hell by a nice demon called Urglefloggah, spawn of the pit.

[ahartman]

My favorite telemarketer story is when a buddy's dad answered the phone during dinner. The telemarketer wanted to know if he had vinyl or aluminum siding on his house. His dad said "Hmm, let me go check".

He put the phone down and went back to dinner...

[Jammrock]

I always have fun with telcom telemarketers.

Part I:

Telemarketer: Hi I'm from AT&T with a great offer on long ditance calling.
Me: I work for Sprint.
T: Have a nice day sir.

Part II:

T: Hi this is Bob from MCI/Worldcom, we noticed that you have Sprint Long distance, now that MCI and Sprint have merged its time to switch over to MCI.
Me: Do you know that you have just committed a $50,000 FCC offense.
T: Excuse me sir.
Me: The Sprint/MCI merger has still not recieved FCC, DoJ, State or European Union approval and therefore has not occured. And since you have just lied to me on the phone to try and get me to switch over to MCI you have committed phone fraud, which is finable up to $50,000 per offense by the FCC. May I please have your name, operator number and place of employment...hello?

Jammrock

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Athlon 650, Biostar board, 128 MB PC133 (Crucial), G400 32 MB DH, SB Live! w/ Digital I/O, 10/100 NIC, lots of case fans, etc...

[Gurm]

I like to have fun with telemarketers. Especially if I know something about their line of business. For example:

Telemarketer: We're calling from Sprint. Our new all-digital network will save you money.

Me: No it won't.

T: But sir, we have a special calling plan...

Me: Hold on a second. Let me ask you a few questions, ok?

T: Yes, sir!

Me: You lease the lines from AT&T, right?

T: No, we have our own lines, on a -

Me: DON'T lie to me on the phone. You lease the lines from AT&T as part of the federal antitrust settlement against AT&T YEARS ago. IS THAT NOT TRUE?

T: I suppose so sir, I don't really know.

Me: Well, if you lease the lines from AT&T, how can you make money?

T: Well we have an individualized -

Me: NO, I'll tell you how you make money. You make money because AT&T is forced by federal regulation to artificially inflate their prices to within 2% of yours, in order to allow you to compete on the same lines.

T: Well, sir...

Me: And, if AT&T is always 2% under you, no matter what, then why wouldn't I just stay with AT&T?

T: Well, we offer a specialized plan where you get discounts...

Me: Yes, so does AT&T. It's called always having the cheapest overall price. Can you guarantee me I'll have a cheaper price next month for the same calls?

T: Well sir I can guarantee you'll get our best price?

Me: I'll need that in writing, mind you. Hello? HELLO?

Funny, that.

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Jammrock]

Gurm,

Depends what part of the route you're talking about. The fiber backbone of Sprint's network is is 90%+ owned and operated by Sprint. As in they laid the fiber, own the fiber and maintain the fiber based network. By US law, Sprint can then tap their cable into the RBOC (Regional Bell Operating Company...something like that) for a nominal fee.

From the RBOC central office to the home is owned by one of the baby bells, not Sprint. And AT&T has to lease those lines from the RBOC's just like Sprint, MCI and any other company.

There are a few lines that Sprint leases from AT&T, just like there are a few lines that AT&T leases from Sprint. The part that all the telco's lease from the RBOC's is called the last mile. PCS and other wireless technologies are being developed by the dozens to allow long distance carriers access to users homes without using RBOC copper.

Just FYI And since I do work for Sprint, I think I know a little about what I'm talking about.

Jammrock

EDIT: Sprint actual does have local CO's, mostly in the south. So in those areas you are going Sprint all the way to the home.

[This message has been edited by Jammrock (edited 24 May 2000).]

[agallag]

My telemarketing calls usually go something like this:

Me: Hello?
Them: Hi I'm calling from (fill in company name), and we're conducting a surv*click*

I find that works quite well...

--
Andrew

[Gurm]

Jammrock,

I am in fact given to understand that what you have described is the current situation. However, when the breakup occured, and up until only a couple of years ago, it wasn't so.

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Jammrock]

Actually Sprint has been running their own fiber backbone for over a decade, but who's counting.

One of the big problems the FCC has with the Sprint/MCI merger is that Sprint and MCI combined run over 75% of the Internet traffic through their fiber backbones. That is almost a monopolization of the internet backbone and the FCC don't like it.

Jammrock