# Please Shove Your Caller ID Up Your Ass

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [October 6, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780 "2004-10-06T01:59:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/41 "2004-10-06T19:41:31Z")

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> [@thaumaturge72](#):
>
> “Caller-ID queer”

Which would be…what exactly? A Caller ID that is sexually and romantically attracted to CIDs of the same sex?

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**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/42 "2004-10-06T20:55:49Z")

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I have a couple of questions for all here who call back numbers that appear on their caller-ID:

Has one of these phantom calls ever turned out to be about something important you would have missed if you hadn’t called back? And has the person ever been glad you called them back (as opposed to the “uhhh, WTF are you calling me for” reaction of many folks in this thread)?

I’m not talking about calling to correct people who leave messages that clearly aren’t for you, I’ve done that myself. I mean the friend or stranger who for whatever reason decides not to leave a message.

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/43 "2004-10-06T21:18:21Z")

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I rarely leave messages when I call phones that I know have caller ID (ie, cellphones). I’m usually calling to talk to somebody and have to do more than just transmit information. Since leaving a message will result in them calling me back, and not leaving a message will result in the same thing, it’s a waste of time to leave messages.

I also don’t listen to most messages anymore, as most people I know will _repeat_ all the information to me anyway when I call them back. But that’s a whole other rant.

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**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/44 "2004-10-06T22:14:08Z")

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BubbaDog, yes, my phone is junk, but it was a gift from my Mom and thus I’m bound to use it. This is the pit, it’s OK for me to complain about junk here. The webcast was a wmv, i. e. Microsoft technology, so it was amazing it worked at all. Otherwise, you’re doing a very good job of proving yourself to be a paranoid and a jerk.

Do those of you who call random people back do it three days later?

I do not have caller ID, I don’t even have long distance service. I’m very tempted to get rid of the landline altogether, I need to look into cell phone plans.

**sj2** , those are great reasons to call someone back.

**thaumaturge72** , I forgive you. Had I not been preoccupied, I would have written down their number and called them back three days later, asking if they knew what I’d called them about six days previous.

Hi **mistee**! How you doin’?

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**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/45 "2004-10-06T22:26:31Z")

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I usually ignore missed calls, even if it IS someone I know. I don’t really like talking on the phone all that much. I don’t even like checking my answering machine messages.

Once I got a call on my cell phone from someone who insisted I had called him and wanted to know why. I hadn’t used my cell for about a week - I HAD NOT CALLED HIM. But he would not believe me and started to insult me! Dude, get a freaking grip. After a couple minutes, I just hung up on him, saying I hadn’t called him and he was wasting my minutes with his bullshit. Take a deep breath, people. It is not that important.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/46 "2004-10-06T23:36:52Z")

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Y’all are aware that CID is available with the NAME display in addition to the NUMBER? So you don’t have to guess who the caller is just by the number?

No, it doesn’t work for cell calls and a few others, but it sure is helpful when it works.

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**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/47 "2004-10-06T23:38:59Z")

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I have an answering machine on the land line and voice mail on the cell phone. People who want to talk to me can leave a message. If some number I don’t recognize is on my caller ID and they’ve not left a message, I don’t call back to see who it was. They can call me back.

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**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/48 "2004-10-07T01:34:13Z")

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> [@BubbaDog](#):
>
> Yes Don’t worry at all. No message…can’t recall the number.
> 
> It couldn’t possibly be somebody calling to determine the time you aren’t home so that they could visit your house and rob you.
> 
> So don’t call them back and tip them off that you have their number.

I can appreciate why a criminal might do this, but why wouldn’t they block caller ID first? Wouldn’t this be like leaving a business card after you cased a house?

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**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/49 "2004-10-07T02:09:15Z")

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> [@CaveMike](#):
>
> why wouldn’t they block caller ID first?

The second rule of life: Never rule out stupidity.

By using a phone they may be clever but, face it, if they want to burgle a home they can’t be _too_ bright. 😃

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**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/50 "2004-10-07T03:29:01Z")

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> [@Otto](#):
>
> Her private call block should allow you to announce yourself; the call should then ring through and a recording will tell her you’re calling. Her block may not be working right or she has it somehow set up wrong. Might want to let her know next time you talk to her.
> 
> I have no quibble with private call block; keeps the telemarketers at bay.

Apparently there are different systems. The one here gives the caller a message stating that anonymous calls are rejected and instructions on how to unblock your number. Which unfortunately don’t work on my employer’s phone systems.

I’ve got no problem with private call block at all - if someone doesn’t want to take a call if they can’t see the number, that’s fine. But they also have to understand that if I don’t want to or can’t unblock my phone number they won’t be getting a call from me. And if the private call blocker would benefited in some way by speaking to me, that’s just too bad.

I was in much the same position as **lorene** - I would try to call a parolee I was supervising for one reason or another and couldn’t get through because of the anonymous call rejection. At times they would get mad that I hadn’t called- maybe he or she had missed a couple of appointments and was in danger of being returned to prison , maybe I wasn’t able to return a call made to me. They would then instruct me on how to remove the block from my home phone, as if my calls to them weren’t the reason I had the block in the first place.

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**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/51 "2004-10-07T15:35:51Z")

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Caller ID is the freaking greatest. But maybe I just say this cause so many fucking people call our house, telemarketers included and its just convenient to be able to know who is calling. I never call back numbers I don’t recognize though because its is too much of a hassle asking who they are why they called all that bullshit.

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**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/52 "2004-10-07T15:49:57Z")

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> [@Otto](#):
>
> I hate Caller ID. Hate it with a passion. I pay money every month for a non-published phone number, yet because someone else pays more for CID they’re entitled to my number? Fuck that. Fuck people who think they’re entitled to know who’s calling before they call and fuck people who call people who want to keep their TN private assholes.

No way.

I have a phone in my house for MY convenience, not yours. You are not entitled to talk to me unless I want to also talk to you. Caller ID is a great invention.

If you want to talk to me, then you better be a person who I want to talk to, or leave a message that impels me to call you back.

No message gets no return call.

Call waiting, on the other hand is a piece of shit invention and serves no good purpose.

> [@Otto](#):
>
> For people who “don’t like answering machines”: It’s 2004. Get over it.
> 
> And fuck people who call back random numbers they find on their caller ID, and fuck them especially hard if after the person they’re disturbing says “hello” the first words out of their mouths are “yeah, who’s this?”

Yup. I can’t believe people call back a CID that didn’t leave a message, whether that person was family, friend, or especially unknown.

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**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/53 "2004-10-07T18:47:29Z")

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> [@Wikkit](#):
>
> .
> 
> Hi **mistee**! How you doin’?

\<slight hijack that has nothing to do with this thread\>

Since you never did email me back, I have been making my kids wait for a good home cooked dinner… since JULY… feel guilty yet? Call or email me sometime

\<end SHTHNTDWTT\>

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**Author:** ![thaumaturge72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@thaumaturge72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thaumaturge72)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/54 "2004-10-07T19:13:51Z")

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> [@BubbaDog](#):
>
> And here’s one right back atcha Steve -
> 
> **Given the fact that the reason for my phone call was very important and of a personal nature, I became quite irritated**
> 
> So which is it? Caller was rude or Shithead72 was pissed that he was interrupted.

Actually both.  
The exact timeline goes like this.

I’m upset about a family matter, and dial a phone number to talk to someone about it.  
{Start clock now}  
est. time 1 sec  
xxx-xxxx dialed (back when 7-digit dialing was for local calls)

another second elapses  
{Telephone RI} \<–Thought enters my head, did I dial that right?{NG} Oops, I think I {R} dialed the first half of one number and the second{I} half of another…

-\>pulls handset away from ear and {N} presses disconnect before second ring completes.

**Note the lack of the final {G}**

Redial number and not thinking anything of it since no one picked up the phone.

20 minutes later (yes it’s one of those longer phone calls)

{beep}{beep} Me: “Ugh, hold on a sec” \<-I now recognise that I shouldn’t have clicked over :smack:

Me: “Hello?”

Him: “You called me a bit ago.”

Me: “I did?”

Him: “Yes.” Dramatic & expectant pause

Me: “Oh, that must have been my misdial. I hung up as soon as I realized it.”

Another Uncomfortable Pause

Him: “Yeah?.. Well?..”

Me: “Yeah”

Another even longer pause

Me: “Goodbye”

{click}

Me to the other intended caller: “Sorry about that…” I continue on my conversation  
Now for the comentary.

I didn’t hang up on someone who answered the phone. The connection so short that I didn’t think that it could have registered on CID.

The fact that I didn’t get a call right back would generally mean that an interruption of anything would be on his end and be a deliberate decision on his part, rather than more of a reflex action.

This occurred on a weekend during the day, around 4’ish or so rather than some normally unacceptable time. If people are that worried about the AUDACITY of someone making their phone ring, even for a second or two, then they need to either turn off the ringer, unplug the phone, or rip it out of the wall and go use a payphone. Or even better, write letters. Oooo, ooo, I know! And then, if you ever get a letter that was mis-addressed, you could write back to that person and bring it to their attention and expect an apology letter to be coming most forthwith. HOOOBOOOY, don’t get me started about that rude-ass mailman accidently putting someone elses mail in your mailbox!!!

* * *

Ever drive down the road, and turn on your turn signal, only to realize a second or two later that its the wrong road, and you undo the signal?

I suppose it would be acceptable for the people behind you to pull you over and remind you of what you just did, and expect an explanation and apology…

* * *

I “prank rang” him phone a total of about 5-10 times with the last one being the episode at a friends party. By that time, almost everyone their knew about the above episode, except for the host of the party. We were all drinking, and had almost forgot about it (I only rang the phone once, about 9pm or so) until an hour later that pompous ass called back. WHOOT! Now that was a fun conversation to hear one side of!  
Immature? Probably, I was still in high school at the time. Although I still have the same opinions about this topic, I’d think it was fairly obvious that I feel a little bad about it. Especially considering how I ended my original post…  
“immature asshole” & “shithead72” 😕

All I can say is that I hope that the person I did this to was you, considering how offensive your posts are.

If you ever figure out who pissed in your Cheerios please let me know, I’d like to give him/her a dollar.

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/55 "2004-10-07T19:28:17Z")

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> [@This Year's Model](#):
>
> You could, ummm, not worry about it. Don’t know who it is, no message, no worries - forget it.

Surely there are situations where you expect phone calls from numbers you may not recognize. For instance, when I prepurchase videogames, I get a call from an automated number that could be from anywhere. So when I get a call that was from a number I don’t recognize, do I

1. Call the number back?
2. Call the game store? (“Hi, I got a call from a number that isn’t yours… is my game in?” :rolleyes: )
3. Call you to ask your opinion?
4. Sit there and ignore the fact that things are happening around me, and if I need any information from someone they will be sure to do everything in their power to get it to me without any intervention on my part?

If I am expecting a call from a company, it is not guaranteed that any particular individual will have a direct line, so which line the phone system hands to them when they dial out is not the same, and even if it were I still might not recognize the number. Again: sit there in passive indifference to the possibility that someone is trying to tell me something, or actually do something about it?

Yesterday I got a text message from someone suggesting, “Call me.” I didn’t recognize the number, but it was a regular number and so clearly they meant to send it to someone they knew. As a courtesy, I returned their call and mentioned that they TMed the wrong individual. The horror, I know. I should have just let them live in a fantasy world where their message, unimportant as it probably was, didn’t get through, rather than risk the wrath of the mopes in this thread.

I am not sorry having a phone is such a burden on you, nor do I feel my behavior is so extraordinarily rude that it merits any mention whatsoever.

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**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/56 "2004-10-07T19:28:24Z")

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I must beg forgiveness then.

Obviously, your choice of action in the situation was much better than telling the person,“Sorry I misdialed. Won’t bother you again. Goodbye”

In no way were your actions shitheaded, immature, or asshole-like.

In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that you would call somebody, hang up, be annoyed by the fact that they contacted you, and then proceed to prank them multiple times.

And now that you’ve explained that you were in high school and shared your prank with friends at a drunken party, well I _know_ that my comments were misdirected.

Again, please accept my apology.

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**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/57 "2004-10-07T19:30:58Z")

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Of course **erislover** , my post was directed at **thaumaturge72**. Not you 🙂

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/58 "2004-10-07T19:43:10Z")

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> [@erislover](#):
>
> Surely there are situations where you expect phone calls from numbers you may not recognize.

Surely there are. For these occasions I have acquired a magical newfangled gizmo called an answering machine. This amazing device keeps me from having to be psychic and trying to guess why someone might have called me when I was not home to pick up the phone.

I trust my acquaintances’ judgment as to whether they need to leave a message. I have enough going on in my life that I’m happy only to return calls to people who did leave messages, and not to respond to “messages” that were not actually left.

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**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/59 "2004-10-07T19:51:03Z")

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I’m sure there’s a joke in **misstee’s** spoiler somewhere about returning calls, caller ID and answering machines and such. 😛

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**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-shove-your-caller-id-up-your-ass/267780/60 "2004-10-07T19:53:23Z")

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> [@erislover](#):
>
> 1. Call the number back?
> 2. Call the game store? (“Hi, I got a call from a number that isn’t yours… is my game in?” :rolleyes: )
> 3. Call you to ask your opinion?
> 4. Sit there and ignore the fact that things are happening around me, and if I need any information from someone they will be sure to do everything in their power to get it to me without any intervention on my part?

1. is definitely best. 555-1212

> [@](#):
>
> Again: sit there in passive indifference to the possibility that someone is trying to tell me something, or actually do something about it?

Did they leave a message? If not, they probably weren’t trying to tell you anything.

> [@](#):
>
> Yesterday I got a text message from someone suggesting, “Call me.” I didn’t recognize the number, but it was a regular number and so clearly they meant to send it to someone they knew. As a courtesy, I returned their call and mentioned that they TMed the wrong individual.

I think we can all agree that under those circumstances, what you did is common politeness.

> [@](#):
>
> I am not sorry having a phone is such a burden on you, nor do I feel my behavior is so extraordinarily rude that it merits any mention whatsoever.

Having a phone is not a burden on me; I don’t fret about missed calls, people who don’t leave messages, and so on. Please pardon me if I decline to share your obsessional sense of urgency about all the above.

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