this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2024
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Asklemmy

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[–] TootSweet 77 points 5 months ago (2 children)

"Thank you for calling the U.S. nuclear arsenal command system. To launch nuclear missiles, press one. Para EspaΓ±ol, marque dos."

[–] [email protected] 63 points 5 months ago

Just to screw with people more, "... Para EspaΓ±ol, marque uno."

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

But I am le tired!

[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Two chicks at the same time.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

My cousin broke, don't do shit.

[–] SPRUNT 12 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I get what kind of chicks would double-up on a dude with a million dollars, but I'm suddenly VERY curious about the kind of chicks that would do that for a dude with a 1-800 number.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

The only chicks into me would be the ones into charitycases. So a 1800 would be perfect for that.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What does 1-800 number mean? I guess it's an USA thing, isn't it?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 5 months ago (4 children)

A 1-800 number is immune to long distance charges, free to call by anyone in the USβ€” the owner of the 800 number pays any fees associated with the call. Traditionally, 800 numbers are owned by companies in order to sell stuff. (The 1- portion of a 1-800 number means that it’s a long distance call… which was a thing when I was growing up in the 80s/90s, but basically isn’t a thing anymore in the age of cellphones)

The opposite of an 800 number is a 900 number. The person calling a 900 number has to pay, usually by minute, and most of that money goes to the owner of the 900 number. Famously used for phone sex lines.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago (1 children)

To add to this, the 800 part is effectively an international convention for toll free numbers at this point. Most countries use either "800", "0800", or "1800". On top of that the +800 country code is used for international toll-free numbers, but AFAIK it only works in a few countries.

[–] neumast 4 points 5 months ago

To add further more: often also 810 or 820 numbers exist, where a phone call might have a toll up to 10 or 20 cents per minute respectively. With 900 numbers you usually dont know, how expensive they are, when only looking at the number.

[–] sylver_dragon 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The 1- portion of a 1-800 number means that it’s a long distance call

The 1 is the Country Code for the US. If you are dialing outside the US, you would start with the Country Code for the country you are calling. If you are outside the US dialing a US number, you start with a 1 to designate that the number is within the US.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

The 1 is the Country Code for the US.

for North America and some island countries/territories*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_calling_codes

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)

So it's a really expensive phone number to own? I would sell or delist it.

[–] TheBig2023Meltdown 5 points 5 months ago

But you get it for free, I assume the costs are covered

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

Are long-distance charges a thing anymore? I haven't paid any fees for domestic long distance in over a decade - I thought they were extinct.

800 is really just an easy-to-remember area code for businesses now, aren't they? Like .com.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago

Post about it on Lemmy

[–] buycurious 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Well, is it a vanity number or just a bunch of random digits?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Let's say you have a 50/50 chance of getting your choice of a vanity number or a randomly assigned 800 number - what do you do in either outcome?

[–] Cinner 10 points 5 months ago
  1. Research the highest selling ever vanity number, consult with the largest vanity number holders, find out what the most expensive vanity number is.
  2. If I get it, sell it.
  3. If it's random, ask a bunch of people on Lemmy what their ideas would be if that happened.
[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I would set up a BBS with lots of text based games on it.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

1-800-DRUIDIA

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

Not use it, as much as I don't use all my other numbers

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres 6 points 5 months ago

Never answer it unless they texted me first.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

If I could, just use it for any and every single service that requires you to sign up using a phone number and don't allow things like VoIP.

Otherwise, I ain't got no use for it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

β€œPut that fork down. You can do it. The urge will go away in 30 minutes. Be strong. Wait a while. Eat an egg. Wait a while longer. Be strong. You are doing it. Love yourself being strong.”

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

Just use it as my phone number.

[–] Lifecoach5000 3 points 5 months ago (9 children)

I actually have a toll free number. I was going to potentially use just for a goofy project, however once robodialers find out you have a working number you might get a flood of spam calls. This sucks because you(as the toll free owner) are billed for any minutes for calls that connect to you.

Someone would have to foot those bills and that’s really how you’d only get a 1-800 number β€œfor free”.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)
[–] shalafi 2 points 5 months ago

I fucking crying! Haven't seen that in years!

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Well, I already have the power to announce stuff for free here by creating a community, so I guess I'd use it the same way I use Lemmy: telling people about free video games

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Nobody uses the phone system anymore. It's all app based voip calls now.

A 1800 number might be good for a business, maybe a bail bondsman

[–] victorz 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Most phone plans are unlimited calling nowadays, at least where I live. I use phone calling all the time. Especially WiFi calling, the sound is great.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Play music over it, mostly metal.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I’d probably call it when my car breaks down

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If it's magically free, is it also magically permanent?

An audio-based SSH client, maybe. It could be used for good or evil, but at this point any open SSH connection is regularly targeted anyway. It'd be really neat to be able to do whatever computer task over an old landline or one of the remaining payphones.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Magically permanent if you want it to be/give some "Yes I'm still using it" feedback to the shadowy organization giving it to you. Otherwise it's active for one year.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Oh, good. I was asking because otherwise it's the sort of thing that they'd try to shut down the first time it was misused.

[–] Resol 2 points 4 months ago

I'd play the Nickelodeon theme song on repeat at 180 decibels for as long as the caller is on the line.

If they hang up, a voicemail will be sent to them that contains... you guessed it, the Nickelodeon theme song at 180 dB. It will be played only once in this case.

Truly what an ingenious way to fry your phone's earpiece/speaker in addition to your ears and those of everyone around you within at least a kilometer of distance, all by listening to a too loud overamplified distorted rendition of those 5 notes known to be associated with Nickelodeon. I'd go to jail for causing such a disaster (both for "ear terrorism" AND copyright infringement).

[–] ChicoSuave 2 points 5 months ago

I would use it like a dial a song but stream the audio to silent movies.

[–] MTK 2 points 5 months ago

Fart sounds

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