News Regarding the Center
For Half a Cent, a Call That Informs, and Annoys
New York Times
July 16, 2008
The looming crackdown by the federal government is part of a broader backlash against the avalanche of phone calls, including those from legitimate telemarketers, charities and political candidates who are allowed to dial any number not on do-not-call lists.
"The levels of intrusion are higher with phone calls compared to e-mail," said James Katz, the director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University. "So it had better be worthwhile if you're going to quicken someone?s pulse. These calls can get very irritating."
Still, Mr. Katz said that people welcome automated calls, even those made by indifferent computers, when they are useful to their immediate
needs. Nancy Poletti, a working mother of two who lives in Short Hills, N.J., said, for example, that she appreciates automated calls from Walgreens when her prescriptions are ready.
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