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From: Geoff Miller on 27 Feb 2007 14:29


krw <krw(a)att.bizzzz> writes:

>> BTW, a proper sig separator is "--<space><lf>". You're missing
>> the space.

: I didn't configure that. Take it up with Supernews.

> It's in your newsreaders settings, somewhere. Somewhere you set
> your sig, it's likely in there. The space is important.

Why?

And if it's so important, why has no one mentioned it until now?


: (I haven't been criticized for something that geeky and esoteric
: on Usenet since about 1992. What next, the return of flaming
: people for "wasting bandwidth?"

> The sig separator is there for a reason (and it must be standard-
> ized to work).

Define "work."

Two hyphens followed by a line feed provides a visual separation
between the body of the post and the .signature. I don't see that
having a space in there as well would add any value, as the MBAs
like to say.


> Do note that it was an offhand suggestion, not the reason for the
> post. You don't take ANY criticism well, eh?

Well, how much criticism have you ever sent my way? It seems to me
that figuratively speaking, you're trying to plot a curve based on
a single datum.

You appear to be mistaking even-tempered skepticism for hostility.

Your comment struck me as a bit off the wall, and quite honestly,
it reminded me of the sort of thing we used to see each September
back in the early '90s when earnest undergrads with shiny new .edu
accounts would flame each other for "wasting bandwidth" when one of
them had a .sig five lines in length instead of the regulation four.



Geoff

--
"Cutting the space budget really restores my faith in humanity. It
eliminates dreams, goals, and ideals and lets us get straight to the
business of hate, debauchery, and self-annihilation." -- Johnny Hart

From: cinnamngrl on 27 Feb 2007 17:49
On Feb 20, 8:00 pm, Nomen Nescio <nob...(a)dizum.com> wrote:
> I am receiving non-stop calls from a debt collector. The calls are coming
> from a company called "Portfolio Recovery Associates" (the number in the
> caller-id reverses to them in a Google search). The calls are all automated
> recorded calls. They don't identify who they are or who they want to talk
> to. All they say is to call them back and it's for debt collection
> purposes. Here is the actual text of the message they leave on the
> answering machine:
>
> "Please return my call at 1-800-860-0644 at your earliest convenience.
> Again, the number is 1-800-860-0644. This communication will be with a
> debt collector in an attempt to collect a debt. Any information obtained
> will be used for that purpose."
>
> I started getting these calls almost immediately 6 years ago when I moved
> and got this new telephone number. Back then the debt collector calls were
> being placed by live people. They would leave threatening messages on my
> answering machine for somebody I never heard of. Finally I answered one of
> the calls and told the guy the person he wanted to speak to wasn't
> available at this number. The calls stopped for three years. But now I
> suspect the debt was sold to this "Portfolio Recovery Associates" and
> they're going after the guy based on the only info they have, which is a
> very old telephone number which is now assigned to me. As a safety check,
> I've run my credit reports and even scanned for my name on the county
> superior court case info website, just to make sure something funny isn't
> happening with my credit or I'm getting sued. Everything comes up clean, I
> don't owe anybody money.
>
> Why the debt collector wouldn't first try to verify the validity of a 6
> year old telephone number before placing over 35 automated calls to such a
> number, but such is not the case. There needs to be a law and protection
> against such abuse. Is there anybody I can report these calls to? I've
> scanned other forums and this seems to be a growing problem, nobody has any
> real solution. If anything, I'm hoping that this post will shine a bad
> light on a collection company that doesn't seem to care they are bothering
> people with what constitutes crank calls.
>
> Here's some more info on the company. Now I know it's a total lie!
>
> "If a collector is unable to establish contact with a consumer based on
>
> information received, the collector must undertake skip tracing procedures
> to
>
> develop important account information. Skip tracing is the process of
>
> developing new phone, address, job or asset information on a consumer, or
>
> verifying the accuracy of such information. Each collector does his or her
>
> own skip tracing using a number of computer applications available at his
> or
>
> her workstation, as well as a series of automated skip tracing procedures
>
> implemented by the Company on a regular basis."
>
> Obviously they don't do any of this, they just call the same old number for
> months at a time, sometimes 3 times a day, 10 times a week, there is zero
> attempt at "skip tracing." And look how much these guys make!
>
> Steven D. Fredrickson > Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board, President, Chief
> Executive Officer
> Officer Since: 03/1996
> Age: 46
> Total Annual Compensation Fiscal Year Total $1,003,400
>
> Kevin P. Stevenson > Co-Founder, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice
> President, Chief Administrative Officer, Treasurer
> Age: 41
> Total Annual Compensation Fiscal Year Total $673,400
>
> Judith S. Scott > Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary
> Age: 60
> Total Annual Compensation Fiscal Year Total $293,400
>
> Craig A. Grube > Executive Vice President-Acquisitions
> Age: 45
> Total Annual Compensation Fiscal Year Total $673,400

Have you sent a cease and desist letter by certified mail? If they
call you after that, you can sue. This is a pretty common problem.
there is a website about this.

http://whocalled.us/lookup

It's not a reverse phone such. It's a log where people can look up a
number to see if they're bothering other people and log the calls. I
've been getting calls for only four years.


From: krw on 28 Feb 2007 13:46
In article <12u91kitjcacl7d(a)corp.supernews.com>, geoffm(a)lava.net
says...
>
>
> krw <krw(a)att.bizzzz> writes:
>
> >> BTW, a proper sig separator is "--<space><lf>". You're missing
> >> the space.
>
> : I didn't configure that. Take it up with Supernews.
>
> > It's in your newsreaders settings, somewhere. Somewhere you set
> > your sig, it's likely in there. The space is important.
>
> Why?

For other newsreaders to be able to make use of it?

> And if it's so important, why has no one mentioned it until now?

Maybe you only hang around with the ignorant lefty dolts here on MC
(as amusing as they are)? ;-)

> : (I haven't been criticized for something that geeky and esoteric
> : on Usenet since about 1992. What next, the return of flaming
> : people for "wasting bandwidth?"
>
> > The sig separator is there for a reason (and it must be standard-
> > ized to work).
>
> Define "work."

A properly configured newsreader will automatically trim the
signature lines when replying. Trimming sigs makes sense (less
repetition, saves space, makes posts more readable, ...).

> Two hyphens followed by a line feed provides a visual separation
> between the body of the post and the .signature. I don't see that
> having a space in there as well would add any value, as the MBAs
> like to say.

The "--<space><nl>" is the NNTP standard sig separator. If
everyone follows the standards things work better than if everyone
rolls their own, just to be different.

> > Do note that it was an offhand suggestion, not the reason for the
> > post. You don't take ANY criticism well, eh?
>
> Well, how much criticism have you ever sent my way? It seems to me
> that figuratively speaking, you're trying to plot a curve based on
> a single datum.

A few times. Though I'm closer to your end of the political
spectrum, you always seem to have a chip on your shoulder when I
reply to one of your posts. This is an example where you're
absolutely wrong, but bristle at a rather minor correction.
>
> You appear to be mistaking even-tempered skepticism for hostility.

It is hostility. You didn't ask why, just let that chip fly.

> Your comment struck me as a bit off the wall, and quite honestly,
> it reminded me of the sort of thing we used to see each September
> back in the early '90s when earnest undergrads with shiny new .edu
> accounts would flame each other for "wasting bandwidth" when one of
> them had a .sig five lines in length instead of the regulation four.

....while they don't trim off your sig because it was malformed? ;-)
>
>
> Geoff <<=== Signature
>
> -- <<=== Malformed sig separator

Your signature is supposed to go under the sig separator too, not
just the quotation or address lines.

<quotation manually deleted because of malformed sig separator>

--
Keith

P.S. If your newsreader is set up properly you'll find the above
sig separator and my name will be deleted when you poke <reply>.
From: Gordon Burditt on 28 Feb 2007 23:44
Here's an approach that can stop calls to your number for people
you don't know. It has worked with persistent debt collectors
and equally persistent wrong-number callers:

Caller: Is Jane Deadbeat there?
Me: She's in jail.

If they ask further, she's doing 10-20 for pouring gasoline on a debt
collector and setting him on fire. (That poor man ... I'd rather be
dead than without a face.)

Alternatives, for apparent family or friends:

Me: She's in bed with a customer. (Works just as well for men).
Me: He's in rehab at Congress People Anonymous.
Me: He left with his jacket filled with explosives mumbling something
about Jihad and infidels.
Me: He's in the state mental hospital. Something about partly eaten
women in his freezer.

From: shyrellmelara on 1 Mar 2007 11:52
On Feb 28, 11:44 pm, gordonb.bf...(a)burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) wrote:
> Here's an approach that can stop calls to your number for people
> you don't know. It has worked with persistent debt collectors
> and equally persistent wrong-number callers:
>
> Caller: Is Jane Deadbeat there?
> Me: She's in jail.

Here's one I used: me: Hello?
her: May I speak to Mr. soandso?
me: Who's calling, please?
her: so and so
me: Why do you want to speak to Mr. ...?
her: I can't tell you that. I have to speak
to him.
me: Well, I'm his wife. You can tell me.
her: No, I have to speak to him.
me: (highly agitated!) Who are you! Why do
you wan't to speak to MY HUSBAND? Are you having an AFFAIR with him?
her: Oh my!
Then she hung up. My husband was standing right there listening. We
got such a laugh out it!

shyrell







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