Why couldn’t this call be an email? Why would you call, when you know that you are near indistinguishable from spam calls about Microsoft services and Nigerian princes?
Phone calls also assume the person on the other end wants to be bothered. If you choose to not answer, you’re treated like the a-hole and are expected to explain why (“I’ve been trying to call you. Why haven’t you picked up?”)
“A telephone is a fantastically rude thing. I mean, it’s like going ‘speak to me now! Speak to me now! Speak to me now!’. If you went to someone’s office and banged on their desk and said, ‘I will make a noise until you speak to me’ it would be considered unbelievably rude.”
I was trying to explain to an elderly friend that people don’t just phone other people now and certainly not at times they will be doing something.
She found it hard to accept that many people find it rude to be called unannounced.
As an example, at one time if someone was organising a social event (eg party) they would phone around to invite people.
But that’s incredibly rude you are imposing on someone and also asking them to decide or excuse themselves on the spot.
I have a coworker that if you try to call her and she doesn’t want to talk she straight up changes her status to away or busy and then just ignores your call. She is an a-hole but not for this reason, lol.
Shortly after getting a cell phone, I made a personal policy that most people don’t get a free pass to interrupt my life whenever they want (there are a handful of people on the short list, of course). I’ve had friends and family comment that I’m hard to contact by phone, and I’ve always pleasantly agreed (and explained politely if they seem interested). Even texts or other messages can wait until I’m at a good place to respond.
For me, having my phone on silent most of the time is a mental health thing. I know people that have their attention diverted every few minutes, and I have no idea how they survive.
Try having a brain that is compelled to actively search for new distractions, and
Squirrel!!!
My wife has ADHD. I feel you, fam.
When my dad wants to talk, he texts me something like “Hey Stephen, give me a call when you have a chance”, and then I oblige when I have a chance. Most of the time it probably could have been an entirely text exchange, but whatever.
When my mom wants to talk, she just calls out of the blue, I don’t answer, and usually we don’t end up talking.
…I forgot where exactly I was going with this, but something about lining the call up beforehand
For me it would help if there would be an option for me to see the at least the reason why the call is being made and also an estimated time of the call.
And with work related calls, it kind of makes me insecure to not know the topic beforehand. I don’t want to blob out some half information. Write it in email, I’ll see for it and get back to you.
I think context makes a difference on whether a call is welcome or not, appropriate or not.
If the email asks me to write out a bunch of info I know off the top of my head, just call me. Don’t make me write out something that I can just tell you much faster.
If you’re asking something that kicks off a conversation going back and forth like if you need help walking through something, sending emails back and forth is annoying and dumb. Knocking it out in one call is faster and easier than exchanging 15 emails.
On the other hand, if you don’t need an answer right away, if you need documents or images or if you need to communicate about something that requires a record of the communication, email is better.
I have been annoyed equally by getting calls and emails when people use them for things when they aren’t ideal.
I can see both points. In my experience, people misuse calls more often, since a work-related call would often require a follow-up email anyway, but that’s more anecdotal evidence
Calling is faster
Faster for the one who is calling, at the expense of the receiving person
Idk, it’s usually faster for both, no?
You can just answer your friend and say hello. lol
I have interpreted this post to mean a work-related call, since you wouldn’t mistake call from a friend for a spam call (it wouldn’t be an unknown number, for one). Otherwise, yes, it would be weird to replace calls from people that are close to you with emails.
Work calls, though, could be replaced with written communication in 80-90% of the cases, and it would also make it easier to follow-up and continue the discussion across multiple days, if needed
Ok, that’s totally fair. I would absolutely hate to get a work call from an unknown number. Tha didn’t even cross my mind!
I was interpreting it as simply hearing your phone ring and thinking it could be a spam caller (I really need to set up custom ringtones at some point)
Sure, just need to pull out my earbud if it wasn’t already in, push my welder out of the way, make my way out of the shop and into the yard where there isn’t constant grinder or saw noise, probably find a sheltered spot because it’s fuckin wimdy, and all before the call goes to voicemail because if I answer on my way towards the door I’ll get complaints about how it’s loud and they can’t hear me over the background noise.
Then just don’t answer? Why is it so hard for people to understand that just because I call doesn’t mean you need to answer. You’re busy and will respond later, that’s what voicemail is for.
It’s like getting a very long notification for a message. You can either reply now (by answering and talking) or reply later by just ignoring the call and responding in whichever manner you prefer later.
I don’t understand why people think a call has to be answered.
Then just don’t answer?
With the people who tend to call out of the blue, not answering tends to result in repeated calls, and then when I finally have a chance to call back, usually it should have just been a text.
If the conversation is best had via an actual call, text me and we’ll schedule a call. We’ll schedule it soon, like “call you in ten minutes” soon, but it’s just easier with a little heads up.
If you are calling me without any kind of notice during working hours, somebody better be in the hospital or morgue; if you’re calling me without any notice outside of working hours, alcohol better be involved
here we go, socially awkward redditors moralizing their awkwardness around phones again
It’s called a human conversation, try it some time assholes. I’m sooooo sorry someone speaking to you is inconvenient.
have you considered returning to monke? nah then you’d just whine about fecal baseball being awkward
With this attitude there is no way in hell you should or could be the leading authority on human conversation.
It’s called social anxiety. I’m so sorry someone being anxious is inconvenient to you.
Have you considered not commenting?
oh no you might be uncomfortable!!! that’s so sad. whoever calls you is totally responsible.
anxiety sucks but stop blaming others for it. it’s not their fault you choose to avoid the phone. maybe seek help for learning how to do a very basic human function instead of blaming others for it? or encouraging others to become defunct in a basic human function?
If I’m calling it’s an emergency or extremely time sensitive. Otherwise I text. I can understand when you don’t want app or even text notifications. But understand and accept the risk that comes with it.
What pisses me right the fuck off is when I call, then call again, then text, then text again, and you, “mr/mrs im so important I can’t be bothered by notifications” are somehow offended at me because you missed out on something because you didn’t bother properly configuring two calls in a row from a known contact through your deny-by-default filter.
Those people, family or not, can fuck right off.
I don’t like telemarketing or spam calls. But I also take responsibility and check if it’s actually important. It’s nbd to me to hang up on a spam call. And to be honest I have gotten a fair share of legitimate calls from numbers I don’t recognize.
TL;DL Answer ya damn phone, you damn well know tiktok and insta still gonna be there 5 seconds from now
I can tell by this comment why people don’t answer when you call them.
As I have stated I only call if it’s an emergency (I’m in an accident, im in danger, someone else is hurt) or it’s time sensitive (someone has face value Taylor Swift tickets at work, want me to get them for you?) I almost always text first, wait 5 min then try calling, I’m not a monster.
I find it pretty self important of people to cut off last resort real time communication with close friends and family because you think 2 minutes of your day is that much more important.
You can configure unknown numbers to go to voicemail. Heck you can make it so that only a certain subset of people ring.
Shame on you for blocking everyone instead of learning how to filter communication, and double shame on you if you get mad when you missed something that someone was trying every possible method to get a hold of you.
as another commenter said, imagine if when you wanted to talk to someone you begin banging aggressively on their desk screaming “TALK TO ME TALK TO ME”. thats what letting calls control your attention does
so you can message first thanks :3
Dear Sir / Madame I am writing to inform you of a fire at 123 Carrington Road. Looking forward to meeting you. Yours Truly Morris Moss
why are you contacting me instead of the fire department
Oh, so if there’s a fire in the building I should quietly slip a note under your door and assume you got it?
If I didn’t hear the fire alarm, I certainly won’t hear your call.
you have the concept of a phone down but not a fire alarm
So you admit that I’m the one with the correct concept of a phone?
Also the fire alarm battery was dead, and the entire thing was an analogy anyway.
Either way out of courtesy, I will retire from this battle of wits; it appears you’ve come unarmed.
there are very few situations that require me to use my voice over the phone. the fact you had to tack on that all of the fire alarms in my house were dead to your little hypothetical shows that its a silly concept to begin with
i only pick up for family, because they know i only pick up for emergencies (havent gotten a unannounced call in years). and for my job while i am ln the clock, expected to be available
