How to make sure I don't talk to you
by Volker Weber
Rule #1: Start an IM conversation with "Hi" and nothing but "Hi".
Rule #2: Don't introduce yourself.
Rule #3: If asked who you are, stay vague.
Sigh, I guess I lost another reader today. Maybe I don't get it. But would you talk to somebody on the phone who refuses to identify himself? I have gotten to the point, where I don't even pick up the phone if you don't show your caller-ID. Wink, wink, Oliver. :-)
Comments
How far does caller ID go? If I call from the U.S., would you see my phone number?
Yes, I would.
But, both from within Germany and for calls from abroad, not all phones send a caller ID. In Germany, most (all?) analogue connections don't send an ID. It only works, as far as I can tell if the other party also has ISDN or a phone which is routed digitally by, for example, GSM or a cable network.
Of course, users can suppress the caller ID - normally that seems to be the case with tele-marketing firms - for obvious reasons ;-)
@John: There are no "analogue" connections in Germany any more. T-Net (the non-ISDN connection) is fully digital all over Germany. You can send your number also with T-Net accounts with no additional cost (you only have to request this via the T-Com hotline).
But I thought you had to sign up for the Caller ID service to actually see who is calling you. At least in the States I think you do. You sign up for one of the phone companies "packages" which usually includes Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and Voice Mail. Is that the same in Germany?
