I didn’t answer them, because my policy on phone calls is that, if I don’t know the number of the caller, or I’m not expecting a call from an unknown number, I let it go to voice mail, pick up the message, and call them back.

Part of the reason for this policy is to avoid ever having to deal with those automated call systems that relentlessly dial numbers.  Some just play recorded messages, and are therefore unsatisfying to hang up on. However, the really annoying ones waste your time by connecting to a call centre once you’ve made the mistake of sounding human.

Of course, such systems are designed to spot voice mail systems, faxes and other non-humans, and in such cases they drop the call without leaving a message, on the assumption that, eventually, they’ll interrupt you at a more inconvenient time.

Anyway, after a few voice-mail-free calls from yonder strange number, I looked them up and found that, indeed, they were from some obnoxious sales operation, trying to sell broader dongles for my band.

Now, a fellow annoyee on that site has had the interesting idea of adding the number to his phone’s contact list under the name “Do Not Answer”, so that he knows not to answer when they call again. Which they will.

But, with my fancy-schmancy Android G1 phone, I realized I could do better. The G1′s contacts application has a feature, hitherto unused by me, which lets you permanently divert all calls from a particular number to voice mail.

So, I’ve now added that number to my contacts, and checked the always divert checkbox. I’ve used the name “Scabby the Salesman”, for that is who I imagine to be calling (a strangely prescient choice of name by his parents, don’t you think?).

Oddly enough, since doing this, I haven’t heard from Scabby again.