How I killed 99% of the unwanted calls to my "home" number using callcentric routing rules:
#1 - Calls from the real estate broker who wouldn't take no for an answer: number is disconnected.
#2 - Calls from Anonymous / Private numbers: number is disconnected.
#3 - Calls with "high" spam probability: number is disconnected.
#4 - Ring my VOIP gateway when I'm inclined to take calls. (Currently toggled manually).
#5 - Everyone else: Voicemail.
I had previously scripted downloading my contacts and adding a routing rule that let people in my contacts ring through but disabled that rule. Just need to update my script for google's oauth changes.
Callcentric also offers a interactive voice recording (IVR) options for things like press 1 to talk to a person or even press a randomly generated digit to talk to a person. I haven't bothered with using an IVR since this system works for me.
You can reproduce this system yourself using Asterisk or other open source PBX software if you don't want to pay callcentric for a phone number. At home I use a Gigaset voip gateway and DECT handset [1]. The nice thing about doing it that way is 1) the handset doesn't need to speak tcp/ip and so is light, cheap and the battery lasts for days, 2) if I need a second handset it's trivial to add one.
I realize the stereotype is HN readers have no use for the PSTN any more and wonder why people ever answer the phone, but I find it convenient for some things and it lets me stay in touch with older relatives who are less inclined to text / e-mail / insta / whatever-du-jour vs use voice.
Blocked caller ID is very common for follow up communications from medical practices. With this rule you may miss your lab reports or specialist referrals.
Sending everything to voicemail and periodically skimming the transcripts seems safer.
#1 - Calls from the real estate broker who wouldn't take no for an answer: number is disconnected.
#2 - Calls from Anonymous / Private numbers: number is disconnected.
#3 - Calls with "high" spam probability: number is disconnected.
#4 - Ring my VOIP gateway when I'm inclined to take calls. (Currently toggled manually).
#5 - Everyone else: Voicemail.
I had previously scripted downloading my contacts and adding a routing rule that let people in my contacts ring through but disabled that rule. Just need to update my script for google's oauth changes.
Callcentric also offers a interactive voice recording (IVR) options for things like press 1 to talk to a person or even press a randomly generated digit to talk to a person. I haven't bothered with using an IVR since this system works for me.
You can reproduce this system yourself using Asterisk or other open source PBX software if you don't want to pay callcentric for a phone number. At home I use a Gigaset voip gateway and DECT handset [1]. The nice thing about doing it that way is 1) the handset doesn't need to speak tcp/ip and so is light, cheap and the battery lasts for days, 2) if I need a second handset it's trivial to add one.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014A781GS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b...
I realize the stereotype is HN readers have no use for the PSTN any more and wonder why people ever answer the phone, but I find it convenient for some things and it lets me stay in touch with older relatives who are less inclined to text / e-mail / insta / whatever-du-jour vs use voice.