to think phone calls are an arrogant, intrusive form of communication?

[oranges]

You decide you want to talk to someone, so pick up the phone, dial and basically insist that they talk to you RIGHT NOW whatever they may be doing. Yes, there is voicemail, but if someone knows you are home, its hard to not pick up. I much prefer emails, texts, even people ringing the doorbell.

I'm glad at least some people understand what I'm getting at. I have lots of friends, and am very sociable, love having houseguests, and also like talking to my dh. So if I'm at home, I'm usually yakking with someone, and dont want to break off. I really enjoy talking to family and friends far away by agreeing a time to chat, when we can both sit down and really natter.

I can't often not answer as I work for an international company and part of the deal is they can get hold of you at home if needed and the numbers don't always show up. THey call me at home once ina blue moon, but I've got to keep that line of communication open. And people call from so many types of line now I'd have to spend hours programming the numbers in to get effective caller id.

I just think phone calls as a method of communication are actually a bit of a blip - people would prefer to drop some form of note for short messages, than bother with the faff of an entire conversation over a quick point - which is why texting took off so much.

i just leave it ring if i don't want to answer (we're ex-directory and most friends and family will phone my mobile). agree that the door going is more instrusive but only because we live far away from friends and family so they always phone/text before they come round. if i know that no-one is coming round and the door bell goes i will ignore it if i choose to - 99% of the time it's cold callers.

*to ring

YABU, put it on voicemail or ignore it, then see who's number called, if its one you recognise as your friends call them back when its more convenient. Really some people complain when they have no friends, and the perils of Facebooking instead of calling somebody, than they complain when people call them

I used to love the phone, but less so now, as when it rings it is always a debt collector, so I no longer answer the landline.

Who are all these strangers who ring you and bother you?

Do you have your number written on a toilet wall?

A plea to all you mobile-holics. Please please remember that some people do not have mobile reception. So if you send a text/leave a voicemail message that needs to be seen/responded to the same day it is not going to happen! At least contact by landline as well!

Sorry bunbaker I didn't mean to sound like I was being judgy about seeing family or not - my family actually live a long way away too, some in America, some in Europe and we live about 600 miles away from most of them, but the phone is a poor substitute for seeing them. I prefer skype, we text to arrange chats in advance and then I can look forward to it, and I get on a plane every 6 weeks to see a large chunk of the family, or they come up here and I am lucky enough to be able to do that without too much of an issue at the moment.

No problems with the phone here, ex-directory and TPS registered so it doesn't ring endlessly, I'm usually happy to stop what I'm doing and chat, if I can't I just don't answer or answer and offer to ring back later. Can't imagine not having the phone. Wouldn't want to rely on mobiles either, our reception is patchy here.

As for emails, well I do use them a lot, but hate not knowing whether they've been received or how long it's going to take to get a reply, I've still got plenty of friends who only check their email once a week or so and when contacting businesses I would often rather just speak to someone there and then and not have to wait for an email to come back. Same if you are trying to arrange for example a date to meet friends, you can go back and forth endlessly with texts or emails when it could get sorted out in a moment on the phone.

A bit of a blip? Over 100 years of telephones... Just saying.

Belledame _ I'm thinking back to Jane Austen times and wishing we could reintroduce calling cards. .
Anyway, I think the people who agree with me just do and those who don't think I'm a weirdo, which is fair enough.

my husband thinks i'm a nutter because i dont jump up and answer the phone when it rings for that exact reason.

I'm at the beck and call of phones all day long... you must answer within 7 rings or else its the supervisor for you...etc etc

but i dont worry, its my phone, i can decide wether or not to answer it, and if the daft bugger picks up the phone and gives it to me saying 'its so and so for you' i simply say ' can i phone you back in a sec?'

Phone hater here too.

Urm- take your phone off the hook. I love a good ol natter on the phone myself. Far more arrogant to e-mail someone when you don't even have to talk to that person. Alternatively tell the person to call back at a more convenient time or simply hang up!

I hate the phone and can easily ignore it. The worst thing is when my husband picks up, and ignoring my frantic handwaving and silent mouthings of "NO, I'M NOT HOME" he'll immediately say "oh yes, she's right here, I'll just hand you over" because he's a terrible liar and consequently hates doing it. The few times he's had to make something up on the spot, it's been so ludicrous that it must be obvious I'm shaking my head at him whilst backing away.

I'm with UsualSuspect, CrispLeCrisp, BunBaker et al - it's FAR better to have a conversation with someone, than to receive a text (which - as you can tell from the numerous threads on here, can be so easily misinterpreted). If someone wants to ask me something, then they can call me, if they ask me a Q on a text, then they are presuming I have the credit to text them back.
All my landline calls (to other landlines) are free - everything I send on a mobile costs me, and, the way some people use mobiles, that could start to add up.
Oddly, it seems, for MN (tho' not in real life) I actually like it when a friend phones me. I'm registered with TPS and rarely get any sales calls, so, everytime the phone rings in our house, I know that someone is thinking of one of us - that strikes me as being positive, not a nuisance. If I'm in the bath or something, then they will either leave a message or phone back - it doesn't self combust if you don't answer, you know.

I am phone phobic. It's like having a small demanding child - PAY ATTENTION TO ME! PAY ATTENTION TO ME! - without any of the nice bits.

I hate talking on the phone too. I feel a terrible pressure to keep the conversation up because if one of you isn't talking then there is (in my mind) a very obvious silence which isn't the case when you're talking face to face.

And all those saying 'Just don't pick up' is all very well but then you have to suffer people saying "You never pick up the phone. Why don't you pick up the phone? You should pick up the phone", even after explaining countless times that you're Just Not A Phone Person and to email/text you instead.

This should be a capital offence: phoning someone's landline (office or home), getting an engaged tone and immediately calling their mobile. GRRRRRRR'

I have just laughed out loud at this one vezzie. My mother is guilty as charged at doing this.

Mum 'why is your house phone engaged,I've just tried ringing you'
Me 'That would be because I'm on the bloody thing mum' grrrrrrrrr

Those of you who don't like the phone, why don't you get rid and save yourself some money? It seems pretty pointless to pay for something you don't use.

I've worked in telecoms nearly all my life... It all started with a love of phones from the age of about, oooh, 3. I love them and all associated technologies but I never answer my phone (outside of work) if I don't know who it is and I sometimes don't answer even then. It's the same as any other media - you choose when you want to use it.

Aware that this is probably not the thread for a telecoms-a-holic...

Bell DH is in telecoms too... and is a slave to the ringing phone. Do you know him?

Some people love ringing phones as it validates their importance. For all others there is voicemail. I prefer getting texts as it's quicker to read than listening to a voicemail.

When my MIL was stalking me I used to leave passive-agressive recordings on our answer machine for her to listen to when she rang.

One of my favourites was "A ringing phone is an invitation, not a command. Leave a message and we will decide later if we will get back to you or not."

Did her head in , but seriously, who needs to call someone 17 times a day?

YANBU

If I don't know the number I don't pick up... Hate telephone calls. Hate them with a passion.

Only give my number to the select few anyway...

And there is no logic behind my dislike so not sure if we are actually BU IYSWIM