🚀 go-pugleaf

	I don't know if there's a generic term for these
things yet. The one I noticed was in a Radio Shack, but I
presume there must be competitors. I'm wondering first
whether they're a good thing, then whether RS's is a good
one at a good price (fifty bucks).

       According to the clerk, the gizmo detects the
phone-dialing machine, and sends it a message saying :
"This phone has been disconnected. Delete the number from
your list." He also said something to the effect that it was
compatible with existing answering machines.

       Upon being asked, he said the detection worked off
the delay between the time the machine connects to you and
the time it hands off the connection to a human -- or, I
suppose, to a phone-spam-machine that plays a recording ...

       I've got a sneakin' hunch this is going to be like
Call Intercept : some use for a while. Our trashcall volume
went way down with that -- and then up went the rate for
trashcalls that give a number, instead of just
"unavailable," or whatever your caller-ID machine shows.

	I also wonder how much risk there is of false
positives (the zapper killing someone it shouldn't) or
unanticipated interactions with either of my answering
machines (one turned off as to answering, but there on the
line) -- or any other home hardware : DSL filters,
splitters, answering-machine-shutter-uppers, surge
protectors, .....

	Any experience/advice?

-- 
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