🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 11 Mar 2002 17:36:02 -0500, Beartooth <karhunhammas@Lserv.com> said:
> 	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).

[snip stuff about telezapper]

This has been discussed in great detail in comp.dcom.telecom.  But to
summarize, here's how it really works (Rember radio shack's motto:
"You've got questions, we've got blank stares"):

Everytime a phone is answered in your house (including the answering
machine, I believe), the TeleZapper plays out the first tone of the
"do do do.  I'm sorry, this number is no longer in service" message
the phone company uses (those tones are specified in a bellcore spec
somewhere).  The predictive dialers that the telemarketers use detect
that tone, and mark your number as "disconnceted" and it shouldn't try
anymore.

Reports have it that it does work, but it plays that tone out EVERY
TIME YOU ANSWER THE PHONE.  Stories from owners reported a lot
explaining "what was that tone" to people who called.

YMMV,

Bill

-- 
If it happens once, it's a bug.
If it happens twice, it's a feature.
If it happens more than twice, it's a design philosophy.