Old Weird Ward
Unless otherwise noted, that which is posted here is opinion, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If you don't like my opinions, go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to actually read this drivel.
The presumption exists that you can read at all.
That may be a large assumption.
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Sunday, November 28, 2004
- - - - - Holes In "Do Not Call" Registry? - - - - -
When I visited SlashDot this AM, I saw THIS ARTICLE, which provides a link to THIS ONE at the Chicago Sun-Times, which in turn links to a PUBLIC COMMENTS section of the FTC (Not avail as of 10:30AM EST 11/28/04, naturally!).
First, the facts as reported in the Chicago Sun-Times:
The agency overseeing the national Do Not Call Registry is considering opening a loophole in the year-old program to allow companies to deliver ''pre-recorded message telemarketing.''
The Electronic Privacy Information Center, a Washington-based privacy watchdog, says the change could result in the 64 million people on the list being bombarded by ''answering-machine spam'' and other unwanted voices on voice mail.
''Even those enrolled in the Do Not Call Registry will be affected by the proposed loophole,'' the group said.
The Federal Trade Commission said it does not think the change would have any dramatic results.
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Now, OWW's Editorial Comment:
It used to be really gawd-awful. Dinner-time interrupted by booger-eating mohrons pitching vinyl siding, high-interest credit cards, "free" vacations, alleged "charities", political messages, surverys, and the like.
Then came the Do Not Call Registry, and blessed silence (of the telephonic variety) graced the dinner hour.
I was a little dubious of the charity and political exemptions in the Do Not Call rules, but it currently seems to work very well.
Now, those silly nits over at the FTC, in the person of Allen Hile of the FTC's division of marketing practices, wants to open up a loop-hole you can drive a truck through, so that those eternally-to-be-despised telemarketers can bombard my abode with pre-recorded messages!
Listen up, you jerks. I pay for my phone service. I bought my answering machine with my cash. That does not give you license to annoy me with pre-recorded drivel.
Grrrr......
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