Hi Craig,

Well, I know that the issue of localized cell phone blocking has been raised here before, and it ended when someone pointed out that it was illegal to do so. So when I read the story in the above post, it seemed like a good jumping off point for the conversation again. But the conversation I envisioned was one of how to accomplish something from a technical perspective. I was thinking of questions like how to read the signals from the cell phones and process the data with a '51 derivative. I thought it might be a fun problem to brainstorm. In retrospect, I think my first error was to label it an OT thread.

In any case, if this thread is to become nothing but a civil liberties v social courtesy debate, then please let me be the first to recommend it for termination.

As for the rude fellow at the next table, or in the next row at the theater, I find that insinuating one's self into the phone call gets the point across quite effectivly. When he answers the call ask loudly, "Who is it?" Or when the phone rings announce loudly, "You might want to answer that. It sounds important." When someone places a call, ask them loudly to tell the other person that you said "Hi!" And of course, in the context of the end of the conversation that you hear, interrupt the call to ask for clarifications. Ask them to speak up, since some in the room can't hear. Yes, it has been my experience that people find quickly that they don't really want the attention after all.