Save me time

Unwanted robocalling is a pain. To paraphrase Douglas Adams, loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it. In my proposal, I outline 2 different ways of preventing unwanted robocalling.

The first is a more elaborate discussion involving all parties that have stakes in robocalling. It suggests getting them to agree to some basic norms of doing business with punitive actions for rule breakers.

However this could take a while. In the mean time, the call receiver would watch with growing frustration while the discussions seemingly meander.

Hence I propose a different solution which puts the call receiver in control. I have set up a proof of concept hosted service ("Save me time") to demonstrate the point of it.

Registering with that service provides you with an alternate number that could be handed out as your contact number. Calling that number connects people to your real phone number. The behavior that your callers see depends on how you label them and what you want done based on that label.

By default, your friends are directly connected. Calls from "scummy" people are dropped. "Boring" people are asked to leave you a voice mail. Unknown callers are expected to pass an audio captcha test before they get through to you.

There are a few other knobs you can tweak on your way to a peaceful robocall-free existence. Watch the video to find out more.