[Jack of all Trades]

Suppose for a moment that I have your home telephone number. Would I be exercising my first amendment rights by setting up an automatic dialer to continually ring your phone so that I could express my opinion to you? Oh I won't actually be on the phone though, I'll just record a few random thoughts for your enjoyment. Not good? Well how about every five minutes, or only once an hour then? Hey, you drive a hard bargain! Once a day it is then! How about 6:30p.m.? What? You don't want me to do this? Well I'll just give the number to ten of my neighbors who'll start with the continual ringing again.

That would be harassment wouldn't it? Where between continual and once a day or once a month does it change from harassment to OK? How many times can I forward your number to new callers? What efforts to conceal my identity as a caller are OK?

Telemarketing, the way that it has been done in the past ten years or so, IS HARASSMENT.

[palmer]

Telemarketing, the way that it has been done in the past ten years or so, IS HARASSMENT.

Then don't sign up for phone service, it's not an entitlement.

[Modernman]

Telemarketing, the way that it has been done in the past ten years or so, IS HARASSMENT.

American industry never seems to learn this basic lesson: either regulate yourself, or government will end up doing it for you. The second alternative always ends up being worse for the industry (lawyers and doctors are smart- they've always been very good at regulating their own professions).