Bots, Autodialers and Our Gradual De-Humanization
When I came into work today at our little art gallery and gift shop, there were six messages in our voicemail box.
I suppose that's not so unusual at a place of business, but that's not the point.
The point is that not a single one was actually from a human being!
Some tiny and totally "analog" flowers...
Our Robotic World
Every single one was a so-called "robocall."
"This is the customer service department at Wave Broadband, with an important message for _____. It is important that ______ call us as soon as possible concerning updates to your account."
Eucalyptus flowers
There were actually blanks in the voiceover, because I have never actually called Wave Broadband to record my name.
I'm sure that if I called them, they would get me a "better rate" that would actually result in our bill going up.
"You are at risk of your Google Business listing being out of date! Please call immediately, to make sure your customers can still find you with Google Business!"
Yeah, right. You're not Google; I'm not in danger of anything, you're some twat reseller, and I probably know more about how Google works than you do...
A couple with many clicking sounds, suggesting an autodialer actually recognizing that it was talking to a voicemail.
Purple flower in the sun...
"Congratulations! You're now qualified for the new lower rates on group health insurance for small business! Please HOLD (emphasis added by me) to speak to one of our representatives!"
YOU are calling me with a machine, and actually expect me to hold to wait for a sales pitch? There is absolutely no part of my reality in which that makes sense...
"Attention Merchant! Federal regulation pursuant to the Flipjack-Bottomdweller Act means your bank is probably overcharging you for your merchant processing fees! Call 1-800-GET-LOST immediately, to make sure you are only paying the federally mandated rates for your credit card processing!"
I'm sorry, do I look like a complete flipping retard? If you're actually in business and think something like this is going to be real via a robocall, you don't deserve to be "in business!!!"
Nothing Says "We CARE" Like Automation!
As I considered my delightful morning messages, I also thought about our little community here in the world of Steemit and the Steem blockchain.
Bots everywhere.
Calendula flower...
Here we are, engaged in SOCIAL media, and the majority of the transactions are being done via bots — bot messages, bot vots, bot information — rather than human beings, being social.
Whether it's Steemit or the greater world, many would argue that having automation doing the bulk of the "leg work" amounts to a way of caring.
From where I am sitting... all those robo calls (and the bots of Steemit) feel a lot more like we DON'T care enough about you to interact directly with you, so here's a robotic substitute for humanity!
And then sociologists and social psychologists sit around and wonder why so many people are depressed because they feel like they are no longer connected to the world around them...
Well, WAKE UP and smell the robot!
Thanks for reading!
What about YOU? Do you get a lot of "robocalls? Does it feel like all this automation is slowly dehumanizing us? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
(As always, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 190124 13:12 PST
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I have made the joke (half seriously) that I will vote for any politician who promises to end robo-calls, regardless of their other policy positions or party affiliation.
Not 10 minutes ago a Sarasota number called telling me I had won a trip. At least it was a live human on the other end though. At least I think it was, since there were voices in the background and she said my name. Definitely reading off a script though. I just hung up.
Maddening!
They are getting very clever with their recorded calls... sometimes they will be voice activated and say "Hello, Bob?" and then almost immediately say "hang on a sec, I need to keep this from falling over" and you give them a moment, thinking it's "real," and then the sales pitch recorded script continues... really annoying.
Are you finding yourself saying this more and more, in this circus called 'the world?'.... I am.
Yes, yes I am. I find myself saying it when it comes to phone calls, when it comes to some of the shyte that's reported by the so-called "news" (even the alleged "independents" get all belligerent and smug about their "non-partisanship")... the mind boggles.
#Thereisnopartofmyrealityinwhichthatmakessense
It could be on the steemit list in days...!
Smart Phones that dumb us down, Al-Go-Rythms that no one can dance to. Hate Speech that triggers anyone who can't handle reality & truth to run to a safe space...... Scumbag Zillionaires saying "Setbacks were expected" when real people are killed by "Autonomous Vehicles".......
We are just "Setbacks" to this A.I. technology that is being forced upon us at every turn.
Taken from Article in Huff Post. "CEO Elon Musk predicted last year that human drivers would be outlawed once self-driving technology became more ubiquitous." (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tesla-autopilot-accident-crash-death_us_577584afe4b0a629c1a95099 )
Hey but ain't the new 5G networks speeds gonna be GREAT...!!!??
Never mind that nagging migraine you been having........ "it's not a tumor"
I rarely answer a phone call anymore. Robocalls and aggressive bill collectors took care of that many years ago.
Great Post, Thought Provoking as always..!!
Yeah, it's all nuckingfutz.
We built this "machine" but completely lost sight of the fact that in order for the machine to survive, we have to keep feeding it... and we are feeding it with ourselves. And so, instead of the humans controlling the machines and benefiting from the automation, the machines control the humans in suble ways that turn us into mindless consuming automatons.
I stopped answering to phone to any number I don't recognize as a friend around 1997, shortly after declaring bankruptcy. Pretty much the only reason the phone would ring would be because it was a debt collector. It's been over 20 years, all statutes of limitation have expired, the bankruptcy discharged... and I still get occasional "zombie debt" collectors calling, trying to collect on some account their company paid two cents on the dollar for.
Ain't got time for that...
Parallel Universe..... 1998 was this business rookies appearance at the Federal Building in scenic downtown Jacksonville FLA.
Humbling, embarrassing, & a hard lesson in life.
Posted using Partiko Android
How is it possible that we got almost the same robocalls? I am so tired of them! they used to hang up when you did and if you didn't answer, it hung up.
Now, they are leaving messages. Is there no end to the harassment?
As an aside, I hope you are having a good day! :)
!tip
Hi @dswigle, thanks for the tip! I think there are only about a dozen basic scripts selling the same 10 or so products that had no business existing, in the first place. At least, it feels a lot like that could be true.
Hope you are having a good day, as well!
Very beautiful flowers!!!
Thank you! I think they add something to my posts.
Enjoy your manual upvote tiny though it be!
I am oddly facile with technology but somewhat of a luddite. It all started with hold, call waiting and answering machines. The one thing that really gets my goat is call waiting. To me it basically tells me the person you put me on call waiting for is more important than me.
I wont be there when you get back :-)
Yes. I get a lot of robocalls. Several/day on average. Unfortunately I have to at least pick up as it is a business phone. Blocking the numbers doesn’t help at all. They just circulate to new #’s
Yes it is dehumanizing in a subtly insidious way.
Thanks for the tiny manual upvote, which I return, in gratitude for actual human engagement.
SInce we're all sending each other tiny upvotes, we all need to subscribe to @dustsweeper, so it's not all for naught. Yes, it's a bot. But at least it's a useful bot...
Hahaha!!!
A marginally less tiny upvote as thanks for the @dustsweeper tip! And a good laugh.
Unfortunately that is my max or I would do more ;-)
I am not a total no-botter. I will hypocritcally use the ones that i think benefit me without hurting others too much :-0
I think @tipu is somewhat of a good mix as it allows one to tip others easily.
🎁 Hi @denmarkguy! You have received 0.1 SBD tip from @dswigle!
@dswigle wrote lately about: Macro Thursday Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)
Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide :)