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When you knock at my door...

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CodeTRUCKER:
... I am going to sing a poor quality excerpt from music that is my taste, not yours while you wait for the door to be answered.

Does that sound a little odd to you?  Maybe even rude?

Yo Folks,

<rant> In the words of Popeye, "That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more!"  Actually, I'm not ready to blow my stack, but I am annoyed.  ;)

Does anyone have an idea of what I am leading to?  In my own circle of people I have dropped very subtle hints for quite awhile (I'm not completely void of tact), but they have not been recognized.  For those of you that are not in my "circle," can you guess what I am talking about?

If you said "ring-back tones*" for mobile phones, you would be right.  

Why am I so adamantly against them?  For starters, if you are one that uses ring back tones, may I suggest you temporarily use someone else's phone and call you own number.  This will allow you to experience what you are foisting on those that call you.  Most enlightening.

Next, let's examine *what* they are good and are not good for...

* Avoiding dialing the wrong number.  To me this could be the only benefit, but how often do you dial wrong numbers, especially with speed-dial?
* Enjoyment?  Not for the caller because the sound quality is so poor it is unpleasant and sheer torture for any kind of an audiophile.
* Forces people to listen to music of your taste, without any consideration to the caller's.
* Unprofessional.  In any kind of a business context (except selling ring-back tones) they are inappropriate.  Think about the secretary at West Family Dental must think when calling to confirm an appointment.
* Additional unnecessary and constant expense.
* Carries a "Hey, look at me this is what I like!" connotation.
* The owners of the ring-back tones, never get to enjoy(?) their own investments.
* Callers may not call as often so they don't have to endure "Listen[ing] to the music while your party is reached."
* [Fill-in-the-blank].
In short, ring-back tones are not worth the price of admission, in my book.  I find them as annoying when I call as you would probably find my singing while you wait at the door for me to answer it.  I can not control what anyone does, but I can offer a viewpoint...  I don't like them.

If anyone has a rebuttal, I would really like to hear it.  Maybe I'm missing something, but given I have quietly considered this subject for over a year, I couldn't have missed much.

</rant>

Thanks for your time.

*  A "ring-back tone" (ala Verizon Wireless, et.al.) is the audio a "caller" hears instead of the usual "ringback tone" that one hears while waiting for the "callee" (is that a word?) to answer the call.  They are similar to "ring tones."  

<edits for explanation>

Eóin:
I've never had experience of ring-back tones, in fact I never knew such a thing existsed before now. But your little rant has completely convinced me that they are pure evil :D

Long may their absence from my life continue ;)

Darwin:
Er... what's a ring-back tone? OK, Codetrucker did a good job of describing/explaining them, but I've never encountered them in the wild, myself. Sound annoying, though...

My pet peeve are car stereos. I really don't want to hear the "whoomph" of your sub-woofer when you drive by my house at 2 am... (or at any other time, for that mater! Further, I cannot imagine that it's safe to drive around like that  >:(

cmpm:
Wow!

http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=webhp&q=ringback+tones&aq=f&aqi=g5&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=4e781b66e30e329a

I didn't know about them either, but I might use them for certain callers!
lol....lol....and say I don't know how that happened, must be the phone company hahaha...

CodeTRUCKER:
Er... what's a ring-back tone?
...
-Darwin (September 25, 2010, 06:47 PM)
--- End quote ---
Sorry, Darwin.  I've rectified this oversight.

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