"Thank you for calling the U.S. nuclear arsenal command system. To launch nuclear missiles, press one. Para Español, marque dos."
Just to screw with people more, "... Para Español, marque uno."
Fire ze missiles!
But I am le tired!
Two chicks at the same time.
Fuckin' A.
My cousin broke, don't do shit.
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.
What does 1-800 number mean? I guess it's an USA thing, isn't it?
A 1-800 number is immune to long distance charges, free to call by anyone in the US— 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.
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.
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.
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.
So it's a really expensive phone number to own? I would sell or delist it.
But you get it for free, I assume the costs are covered
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.
Post about it on Lemmy
Well, is it a vanity number or just a bunch of random digits?
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?
I would set up a BBS with lots of text based games on it.
But who has a modem to dial it these days?
I probably have an old laptop somewhere with a modem on it, but then my next impediment is I don't have a landline any more.
1-800-DRUIDIA
Not use it, as much as I don't use all my other numbers
Never answer it unless they texted me first.
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.
Just use it as my phone number.
“Put 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
I fucking crying! Haven't seen that in years!
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I’d probably call it when my car breaks down
Play music over it, mostly metal.
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 “for free”.
Fart sounds
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).
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