Oh I love my white list....
I'm one of those very strange people who hates the sound of a ringing telephone (regardless of what ringtone it uses) as it signals an annoying interruption to whatever it was I was doing. I especially hate hate hate telemarketers, "courtesy calls," "you're our customer so let's sell you this other thing" calls, "would you take this survey of your recent experience with us" calls, "confirm your appointment" calls, or most any other ridiculous annoyance calls that are not from people I care about who have something important to say. I much prefer email or IMs most of the time because I can get to that when I feel like it not not be interrupted in my latest brilliant attempt to write something or while cleaning the fish tank or feeding the aminals.
Imagine my glee when I found this little device called the "Interceptor ID" which allows me to block calls before they even ring my telephone! Glee glee glee. After a set up process in which I installed a "white list" of people whose numbers will ring through, all other numbers go to an automated announcement telling the caller to send email. How handy is THAT? Whenever I make an outbound call, it automatically adds it to the "ring through" list (which I can change on the fly if necessary, if I'm calling someone I don't like, etc. etc.).
While not perfect, since calls from Ed McMahon notifying me I've one a million dollars won't come through, I watched with great joy as it blocked 3 calls this morning from people whom I'd previously told to USE EMAIL. Joy! Rapture! Everlasting Geekish Glee! *insert snoopy dance here*