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>Intellectually, I recognize that the people making telemarketing calls by and large are in a precarious financial position, with all of the risks to health and

>Intellectually, I recognize that the people making telemarketing calls by and large are in a precarious financial position, with all of the risks to health and happiness that come with that. I think we need to treat them better (even if that's just tersely hanging up, rather than stringing them on). Those who steal are often not in the best of financial straights. Yet we still punish them. Those who commit even worse crimes are often meeting some unmet need or desire, one which may only exist because they are mentally ill, and yet this means we see them as a danger to society. We may pity them, but we will still punish them. So, shouldn't the same logic apply even when the wrong being committed is much milder? The punishment will be milder (get yelled at, have time wasted) since the wrong is milder, but they still deserve the social repercussion of their actions.

morninj 11y ago
Telemarketing is annoying but generally not illegal.
- Lawtonfogle 11y ago
  Laws are not the only rules, they just have the strongest punishments if broken. Their are social mores and folkways which have weaker punishments if broken; punishments which are dealt out by many other members of society other than the legal system. To put it another way, being extreme mean, rude, and condescending to and wasting the time of telemarketers isn't illegal either. Yet some are trying to say doing such is wrong, to which I say that the telemarketers have already committed a greater wrong of the same nature.
- actsasbuffoon 11y ago
  Many telemarketers are engaged in outright scams. I've listened to many of the recordings referenced by the article, and they're overwhelmingly the same kind of scam. The basic idea is that they call you up and offer you something for free or at a steep discount. They explain that they need a small holding fee which will be returned to you, then they run off with your money and you never hear from them again. Free solar panels, vacation cruises, driveway sealing, and discount home repairs/weatherization seem to be the common flavors.
carbocation 11y ago
I do not think that one's job having the side effect of being an annoyance to others merits even subtle social punishment. Nevertheless, I often do act as if I did, because I do not always behave in accordance with my aspirations.
- Lawtonfogle 11y ago
  Remove for a second that this is a job. If I was going around interrupting other people just because I wanted to, I would deserve subtle social punishment to get me to stop annoying others, no? So why is it different if you are doing it for money instead of the pleasure gotten from annoying others?
  - lfowles 11y ago
    The employer/instigator is shielded from social pressure applied via being a nuisance. High turnover positions get a very slight uptick in turnover? Good thing there are a lot of people out there that just need a paycheck no matter the amount.
    - slavik81 11y ago
      If this were just an annoyance, you'd be right, but the primary effect is to make the job less profitable by lowering the number of sales per hour. That directly affects the employer.

morninj 11y ago

Telemarketing is annoying but generally not illegal.

Lawtonfogle 11y ago
Laws are not the only rules, they just have the strongest punishments if broken. Their are social mores and folkways which have weaker punishments if broken; punishments which are dealt out by many other members of society other than the legal system. To put it another way, being extreme mean, rude, and condescending to and wasting the time of telemarketers isn't illegal either. Yet some are trying to say doing such is wrong, to which I say that the telemarketers have already committed a greater wrong of the same nature.
actsasbuffoon 11y ago
Many telemarketers are engaged in outright scams. I've listened to many of the recordings referenced by the article, and they're overwhelmingly the same kind of scam. The basic idea is that they call you up and offer you something for free or at a steep discount. They explain that they need a small holding fee which will be returned to you, then they run off with your money and you never hear from them again. Free solar panels, vacation cruises, driveway sealing, and discount home repairs/weatherization seem to be the common flavors.

carbocation 11y ago

I do not think that one's job having the side effect of being an annoyance to others merits even subtle social punishment. Nevertheless, I often do act as if I did, because I do not always behave in accordance with my aspirations.

Lawtonfogle 11y ago
Remove for a second that this is a job. If I was going around interrupting other people just because I wanted to, I would deserve subtle social punishment to get me to stop annoying others, no? So why is it different if you are doing it for money instead of the pleasure gotten from annoying others?
- lfowles 11y ago
  The employer/instigator is shielded from social pressure applied via being a nuisance. High turnover positions get a very slight uptick in turnover? Good thing there are a lot of people out there that just need a paycheck no matter the amount.
  - slavik81 11y ago
    If this were just an annoyance, you'd be right, but the primary effect is to make the job less profitable by lowering the number of sales per hour. That directly affects the employer.