I remember back when I had an ISDN line. I used our computer as an answering machine and had the possibility to make personalized messages depending on the number of the caller.

For the people calling from an “empty” number, i.e. telemarketers, I routed them directly to the answering machine and simply said “Based on the number you are calling from it seems like you are a telemarketer. Please leave a message and I will call you back“. The only messages I got was some mumbling about “what is this?” etc..

Now, welcome the Telecrapper 2000. Record a series of short audio files and activate the Telecrapper. It will answer your phone with one of the files. Each time it senses silence for a given time from the caller it plays another file. This can lead to some fantastic virtual conversations with telemarketers.

You find a conversation done by Telecrapper 2000 with a real telemarketer, illustrated with a nice flash animation here. There are more audio examles at the bottom of the Telecrapper 2000 page.

We closed our fixed line a long time ago, and the telemarketers seem to stay away from my mobile. But, I guess that won’t last forver. I see a market for a Telecrapper 2000 software for Symbian already…

Via (Hack a day)