talk to strangers?
By arkaf61
@arkaf61 (10881)
Canada
April 22, 2007 4:21pm CST
When my daughter went to spend this year in Portugal with my mom, I started looking for a service that would allow me to use the computer to make calls to a land line there.
I found quite a few and ended up choosing a kind of voip service that with the deposit of 10 euros allowed me to call Portugal for free for 120 days and then would charge 1 cent per minute until I finished the 10 euros at which point I could refill again.
I found this to be the best option and I am quite happy with it. This was done specifically to talk to my daughter over the phone when she was somewhere without an internet connection, and since I had it I used it to talk to other family members in there as well.
But ever since I have this program, every time I turn it on I am inundated with requests - much like msn - to allow this person or other to be in my contacts so they can call me and we can talk. I don't know this people. These are members of the same service that are in the member list and want to talk to someone on the phone.
Beats me why they would want to speak to a complete stranger. Or why would people accept those contacts and be ready to speak to a complete stranger and have a complete stranger with their phone number.
This is not the same thing as meeting someone in a internet group or in a chat room and deciding to take it a bit further and have a phone conversation. I don't do that as a rule or often, but I have done it in the past once i feel I know the person well enough.
I'm not for or against this, I'm just a bit puzzled.
Would you want to talk to a complete stranger over the phone? You wouldn't mind that this complete stranger would have your phone number? If you do, what would be your reasoning to accept this? If you don't, why not?
4 people like this
6 responses
@easy888 (10404)
• Australia
22 Apr 07
Hello,arkaf61, I would not talk to any strangers on the phone or meet them, I had never done it before, if I met someone in the cafe, and they approached to me and ask for my personal information, I would not give to them, it was quite dangerous to give your information to strangers as they may have some bad intentions behind.
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
23 Apr 07
But I"m still wondering, what would be the reason for anyone to want to phone a complete stranger... is it because the person might be lonely, or has low self confidence and is more comfortable with being anonymous, or it's just curiosity and want to know more people?
@avonrep1 (1862)
• United States
23 Apr 07
When I was a teenager I called the wrong number once and a guy answered I asked for my friend and I had the wrong number, He started talking to me and we talked for about an hour. When I was bored, I'd call the number and chat with him, for a while. This was before Caller ID, and I never gave him my number.
I don't use them type of services you are using, but I wouldn't today talk to someone I don't know on the phone just because I don't have anything better to do. These people need to get a life. Maybe send them a referral link and tell them if they want to get to know you join this site to do that. If anything else you may get some active referrals from it.lol
1 person likes this
@SKLC_PT (1234)
•
3 May 07
Hummm, that's curious, have you tried e-mailing the provider to ask if there is a way for them not to get in contact with you? I don't think I'd accept it, and I wouldn't waste a few cents on complete strangers like that, unless perhaps I was really sleepy and sort of did it in my sleep lol.
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
4 May 07
LOL , not even asleep I think.
THe service has a list of friends like mylot and people can certainly ask to be on it. And calls between members of the service are free.
Still I don't have interest in talking with anyone in this service other than with my family and the friends I had from back home.
@sudeshna22 (390)
• India
23 Apr 07
I will not be interested to talk to complete strangers over the phone. Because I think that giving phone numbr to a complete strangers may be hrmful or disturbing to me. I no nothing about the person so how can I start talking suddenly.
I am only interested to talk to unknown people if they are from my connetions, like my friend's friend or relative's friend, I mean if any of my known person know that person.
I think people who are lonely or who have a hobby of making new frineds, are like to talk to complete strangers by giving them personal phone numbers.
1 person likes this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
4 May 07
Yes, some people are lonely and it will be probably easier for them to talk with complete stranger, just because they need interaction. And some people are very friendly and wouldn't mind to speak with strangers either. I understand them, but I'm just not one of them.
@Woodpigeon (3710)
• Ireland
4 May 07
There are some strange rangers out there! Maybe they want to pracice English?
I wouldn't want to do it at all. It would be too much like being made to talk to a relative on the phone tha you barely know just because you 'should'. Only you wouldn't have to talk to these people for any reason. I don't get it either!
