"Nicole from the National Broadband Network"

has been busy again. She has rung me three times so far this week - once on Sunday and twice on Monday. Along with the man from the "Telstra technical department" (who also tried three times) they have been busy in the "technical departments" around the internet.

I have lost count of the calls I have had from "Nicole". There must have been more than fifty by now. The Telstra man would have tried more than forty times I suppose. Both of them keep telling me that our internet connection will be cut off within twenty-four hours or the next day because we are going to be moved to the NBN. Strangely we were moved to the NBN long ago. There was never any question of us being cut off from the service...even when I had to change our service provider. It is all very strange. 

Yesterday I got so fed up with Nicole that I actually pressed "one" to "speak to the technician". I waited and then told the accented voice at the other end "SCAMMER!" He hung up rapidly.

I do not doubt they will try again. They do not give up. Middle Cat has led them on occasionally - just to have a little fun. I cannot be bothered. Brother Cat informs them that they have reached a certain location and the conversation is being recorded and traced. I have other friends who have tried other tactics.

And they still try all of us - in more ways than one. They keep hoping. I know people who have been caught out. And I know I could be. They are getting smarter and more convincing all the time. Once they were easy to spot but now they are better, smarter, faster, more cunning than ever before.  

My maternal grandmother loved using the telephone. She used any excuse to "make a call".  My paternal grandmother avoided using it. "It is much nicer to talk to people face to face" she told us. 

I wonder how they would get on now. My maternal grandmother would probably have embraced the internet and social media. My paternal grandmother would be able to  use it because she was an intelligent woman - but she would not have liked it. 

I use it, of course I do. In many ways it is a good thing. I can write this. I can "talk" to friends around the world. I can work from home. I can do other things  too. What I cannot do here is talk to people face to face. I have come to realise the value of that.

It is something that "Nicole" will never understand.