XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-10   
   From: not.email@all.invalid   
      
   On Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:09:08 +0000, J. P. Gilliver wrote:   
      
   [snip]   
      
   > I have a (corded, as it happens) 'phone at my elbow, so answer almost   
   > immediately (startles some callers!); however, especially around 10:30am   
   > which seems to be peak phishtime, I don't actually _say_ anything for a   
   > few seconds; the same applies - the autodialler (or whatever) gives up.   
   > (A real caller will usually say something in that time.)   
      
   I often hang up after saying "hello" twice with no response, unless it's   
   someone I know who often does that.   
      
   I got a call this morning that I didn't answer because of multiple signs   
   of it being a machine.   
      
   1. The NAME* appearing on caller ID was identical to the number.   
      
   2. The caller did leave a message, but it was "beginning truncated" (the   
   first few seconds of the message were missing, like the machine was too   
   stupid to WAIT FOR THE BEEP). What I heard first was "(half a word) in   
   your area".   
      
   3. The call ended with a few seconds of busy signal, which I hear   
   indicates the call was not disconnected properly (it doesn't happen on   
   legitimate calls).   
      
   * - a feature that I really wish that mobile phones would have. It can be   
   used to detect and ignore most junk calls.   
      
   --   
   Mark Lloyd   
   http://notstupid.us/   
      
   "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send   
   peace, but a sword." -- Jesus, Matthew 10:34   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)