# Does Caller ID Blocking (Private Name, Private Number) annoy you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323 "2013-05-25T16:13:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/21 "2013-05-25T23:51:47Z")
Most of the people I know communicate via text message, so the land line is on silent with no voicemail. On the times that a unknown caller shows up on the cellphone, I simply send it to call heaven with the appropriate button. In another decade I imagine most business’s will have wrapped their heads around this concept and adjusted their way of doing business. Declan ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/22 "2013-05-25T23:55:52Z")
If we don’t recognize the name or number, we don’t answer the phone. Fortunately none of our friends block their ID. If they did they wouldn’t be able to get through. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/23 "2013-05-26T00:20:28Z")
Doesn’t annoy me at all, if a name doesn’t show up I don’t answer. If a name shows up there’s still a 75% chance I won’t answer. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/24 "2013-05-26T00:25:12Z")
Dig Pick up the phone! I’ve called you 4 times now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/25 "2013-05-26T03:02:09Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > My EX did this stupid shit. And stuff like this is part of the reason she is my EX. > > Phones rings. Can’t tell who it is. I say “fuck it, if it happens to be someone we know or it is actually important they will leave a message”. > > She freaks the fuck out and about kills herself trying the answer the phone before the third ring (that’s a whole nother story). > > The kicker? She gets madder than shit if it turns out its a telemarketer or political poll or whatever. > > Make up you damn mind woman. > > Gawd I hated her fucking bizarre phone behavior. Were you married to my mother? She does the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/26 "2013-05-26T03:10:44Z")
I never answer my phone at home. Too cheap for caller ID. If it’s someone I know I pick up the phone. Not interested in knowing who is calling my cell phone if they are not in my contact list. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/27 "2013-05-26T03:31:20Z")
“What’s a home phone Grandpa? Is that like when you have your smart phone with you but you are sitting at home?” If my smart phone does not recognize your number I ain’t answering the call. Leave a message and I will check it in just a few minutes and decide if I want to call you back. We have never had such peace in our house until we got rid of the land line. I don’t believe in emergencies. If you think you have an emergency I have people who handle that, their number is 911, call them, then call me and leave a message. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/28 "2013-05-26T04:10:43Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I want features like this: > [ul][li] White-list of phone numbers I will answer. (Take message if I don’t answer.)[/li][li] Grey-list of phone numbers to answer automatically and take message, without ringing my phone.[/li][li] Black-list of numbers to NOT answer. Even better, pick up these calls then immediately disconnect. In any case, don’t even ring my phone.[/li][li] Calls can be filtered on either the Number or the Name field of the incoming ID.[/li][li] Filters can contain wild-cards, like 718-234-??? or 614-???-??? (and likewise, allow wild-cards on the Name field too).[/li][li] Large enough memory that these lists can contain fairly many numbers.[/li][li] Specific pre-programmed codes to represent all calls saying “Unknown Caller” or “Out of State Caller” or “Private Caller” or other common generic no-ID calls.[/li][li] Options to create additional classes (that is, lists of numbers or names) with some other kinds of special treatment.[/li][li] Differing ring-tones for different numbers or classes, or different voice-mail greeting.[/li][li] Here’s a biggie: Option to _challenge_ certain incoming calls. That is, a CAPTCHA-like function. Automated voice answers, says “Please enter 38 [randomly chosen two digits] to complete your call.” Caller must respond correctly within 30 seconds or call is disconnected.[/li][li] Even better: “Please enter initial letters of the person you are trying to reach”. Caller must enter the correct two digits. This will reject even live callers who are trying to reach someone other than me (like all those Bjorn Thor callers).[/li][li] If there is some standard protocol to recognize emergency callers (like Police), then provide for that. If no such protocol exists, it ought to; in the meantime, they can damn well send me a telegram.[/li][li] Possibility to export the entire configuration to a USB memory device.[/li][/ul] Have you looked at Google Voice? I haven’t looked at it in a while, but I believe it has a lot of what you’re looking for. I know that it allows you to group certain contacts together and give that group a unique outgoing message. Their block caller feature is nifty – once you’ve blocked a number, if it calls again they hear the “disconnected” message. Your Google Voice number can be set to ring any existing phone you want, too, including ringing multiple phones at once (home and work, say). ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/29 "2013-05-26T04:18:09Z")
Anyway, to the OP: no, doesn’t bother me, but I won’t answer it either. I figure if it’s important, they’ll leave a message, and if it’s not, I’ve saved myself the bother of hanging up on them. Not entirely surprisingly, I can recall exactly one instance in my life where I actually got a message from a PRIVATE number (and it was an office I was doing business with). Aside from that, none of them leave a message. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/30 "2013-05-26T04:47:37Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > "What’s a home phone Grandpa? It’s the thing that still works when the towers go down in a disaster. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/31 "2013-05-26T04:54:39Z")
> [@sahirrnee](#): > > Were you married to my mother? > > She does the same thing. Apparently you ARE my daughter? in law. Shocking as that is:) Geez my EX was batshit crazy phone wise. Like I mentioned in the previous post she would about kill herself trying to answer the phone. She created a fracking bowl shaped depression on the couch playing fracking Farmville 18 hours a day. We had the couch (with a biologically created depression) and a biologic entity filling said depression. In front of the couch was a glass table. And of course the source of the Farmville depression creating device, a laptop computer on a “tv tray”. Now of course this laptop running 18 hours a day needed power. And internet. And a mouse. And a printer connection. So, we had the sofa. A biologically created and filled dent on the sofa. A glass table. And the “tv tray” to support all this between the glass table and the sofa with the depression. And all the damn wiring it needed to do said things. So, when the phone rang the EX acted like it was the call of your lifetime. She would nearly kill herself and or tear shit up trying to get over the wires to get to the phone ASAP. With the grace of a drunk assed water buffalo. Now, keep in mind, she could go an extra 3 feet to the left and avoid the wires and the glass table by going to the left of the table rather than the right where all the shit was. After a couple hundred/thousand times of this I’d had enough stupidity. I finally told her something to the effect of “If you fucking fall and or fall through that glass table bleeding like a stuck pig rushing to get to the phone, I MIGHT hand you the phone to call 911” before I walk out the door". She got butthurt but she also quite doing that shit. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/32 "2013-05-26T04:55:08Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > It’s the thing that still works when the towers go down in a disaster. Just as cell phones are the thing that still works when the phone lines are ripped down in a disaster. Or the power lines if all your home phones are cordless. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/33 "2013-05-26T05:04:54Z")
I don’t get the excuse of having an unlisted number. If it’s a social call, and you are calling me, yet you don’t trust me with your phone number, what does that say about you? I can’t call you, but you can call me? WTF? For emergency services, I’ve never known any that block the number. They just replace it with the number you’re supposed to call to reach them, just like all businesses do. And even if you do have to block the number for some reason, you can still put a name in, so I know who you are. There is no anti-SPAM service for phones, so not answering numbers I don’t recognize is as close as I can get. So, yeah, it does bug me a bit when you deliberately try to circumvent that system, particularly when you have alternatives. Fortunately, every single time I’ve answered a Private Caller, the number has been hidden for the reason you think it is–so you don’t know who is calling. I have no problem being mad at such people. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/34 "2013-05-26T05:47:08Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Just as cell phones are the thing that still works when the phone lines are ripped down in a disaster. Or the power lines if all your home phones are cordless. the lions share of phone lines are buried fiber optics. and the base unit of most cordless phones act as a speakerphone. I have corded phones in my house. the problem with cell phones is that even in a densely tower’d area you can overload them in an emergency. While that is also possible with a land line I’ve never had it happen. I have been to large public events where there were too many people for the cell towers to handle. Organizers of repeat events seem to have figured this out because I’ve seen portable cell towers brought in to handle the load as of late. Anyway, I’ve doubled my chances of communication in an emergency and I use a land line for DSL. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/35 "2013-05-26T06:53:16Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Have you looked at Google Voice? I haven’t looked at it in a while, but I believe it has a lot of what you’re looking for. I know that it allows you to group certain contacts together and give that group a unique outgoing message. Their block caller feature is nifty – once you’ve blocked a number, if it calls again they hear the “disconnected” message. Your Google Voice number can be set to ring any existing phone you want, too, including ringing multiple phones at once (home and work, say). Okay, I’ll have to read up on it. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/36 "2013-05-26T07:02:30Z")
I only get unknown calls from one person. And that’s my wife. Her workplace, a workplace with thousands of employees and thousands of phones, does not wish any of them to take return calls. Nobody else who calls me is [employed by anybody] that stupid. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/37 "2013-05-26T14:54:50Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > the problem with cell phones is that even in a densely tower’d area you can overload them in an emergency. **While that is also possible with a land line I’ve never had it happen.** Mother’s Day morning. Pre-cellphone days, that used to happen. Probably not any more, though. Now get off my lawn (and I’ll stay off yours). ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/38 "2013-05-26T17:01:01Z")
As noted somewhere above, Caller ID blocking can be turned off on a call by call basis. If someone you know calls you with it blocked, just ask them to include the code with your phone number in their contacts. This may involve you finding out what that code is (I don’t know it offhand) and finding out precisely how they need to enter it (you may need to program a pause after entering the code). I would not be surprised to learn that some phones have a feature that allows you turn off blocking when you dial a number by simply checking a box in the contact entry. If they don’t have that feature, they should. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/39 "2013-05-26T17:01:40Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Dig > > Pick up the phone! > > I’ve called you 4 times now 🙂 Pffth, anything starting with “Bill” definitely goes into the do not answer pile :). ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-caller-id-blocking-private-name-private-number-annoy-you/659323/40 "2013-05-26T17:10:29Z")
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