Caller control of phone ringer

February 8th, 2012
ideas, phone, tech
I want this as my voicemail message:
This phone is set to vibrate. If this is really important [1] dial '73' to make the phone ring. Otherwise, please leave a message.
I leave my phone set on vibrate and often ignore it: just because I have a box in my pocket doesn't mean that people elsewhere should take priority over people in the same room. In person, if B comes up while I'm talking to A they will politely wait until A is done. If it's urgent, they can say "excuse me, but this is really important", and seize priority. Phones should have this too. It wouldn't have to go into full ringing: a brief sound following a vibrating ring that I had ignored would tell me that someone had claimed urgency.

(Would people claim urgency excessively? I don't think so, but if they did in practice I could make this available only to people I trusted not to abuse it.)

This is part of my general retrogrouch outlook.


[1] And possibly: "... and you're willing to pay $1 if I disagree ..."

Referenced in: Phone Update: 3 months In

Comment via: google plus, facebook, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

My irrational hatred of Geoffrey Miller's Mate

I. Of every dating advice book I’ve ever read, the single one that drives me the most nuts is Geoffrey Miller’s and Tucker Max’s book Mate: Becoming The Man Women Want.

via Thing of Things January 14, 2026

Why I Don't Think My Braces Were Worth It

A couple weeks ago, I got my braces off. I kind of wish I had never had them, though. When I was younger, two of my teeth were sticking out, and they looked kind of funny. I thought that my teeth were just fine, and I didn't want to get braces. But s…

via Anna Wise's Blog Posts January 3, 2026

Family Christmas

Unlike many families my family celebrates Christmas with really really a lot of our family. This past year there were about 29 people at my Grandfather's house in the week around Christmas. I know what you're thinking: how does that work? It's…

via Lily Wise's Blog Posts January 3, 2026

more     (via openring)