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Written by Megan Scott, asap
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Monday, 30 April 2007 |
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The meeting is dragging. Your date is disastrous. Or maybe you’re just feeling lonely.
Whatever your motivation, The Popularity Dialer (www.popularitydialer.com) calls your phone at an appointed time — for free. And just in case you’re in a very quiet place — or you’re not the best actor — the service will prompt you with one half of a prerecorded conversation.
“The idea is that you are not going to get an empty phone call because people can hear,” says Jenny Chowdhury, who started the service last year with Cory Forsyth, a programmer. “Phones are pretty loud now. When your friends are talking on the phone, you can sort of hear the Charlie Brown voice.”
The Popularity Dialer makes the conversation seem real.
For example, “The affirmation call” opens with a convincing “You are so awesome,” and goes on with a string of nonspecific accolades along the lines of “You are probably one of the greatest people alive on Earth today.”
Chowdhury came up with the idea last year after reading about how college students used to fake phone calls to make dorm mates think they were popular.
The service has made more than 150,000 calls since the official launch last summer. While free to U.S. users, she limits users to five calls to the same number, and is looking for sponsors so she can allow more.
She also has a plan for text messaging in the works and wants to expand the service to other countries.
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Megan Scott is an asap reporter based in New York. | Only registered users can write comments.
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