I think it sucks that someone selects a tone (which they think matches your personality) to ring when you call, so everyone who hears a dorky song playing thinks you're (the caller) a dork by association.
Basically, this idea allows *you* to choose what the person hears when *you* call them. If you want everyone to know your own personal theme song, then that's what their phone should play when you're calling them.-- 21 Quest, Oct 17 2006 Similar, but slightly more limited http://www.halfbake...e_20Mobile_20Toning [jutta, Oct 18 2006] Hmm... I think this makes the problem worse.
Under the status quo, if she thinks you're a dork, then you can stop calling her (and find someone else, who appreciates dorks properly).
Under this idea, if she thinks you're a dork, she can pro-actively dork-stalk you with her hilariously chosen ring-tone, just to wind you up.
(I don't know why I'm assuming 'she' - it just came out that way).-- pertinax, Oct 18 2006 I like this idea for the same reason [pertinax] doesn't. Once people start getting publicly embarrassed by dork-stalking or just 'funny' friends' choices of ringtones, it will hopefully encourage them to switch off their phones completely at dinners, social occasions etc. rather than risk being embarrassed.-- imaginality, Oct 18 2006 It does put an interesting twist on ringtones. At the moment, I suppose, the idea of a ringtone is so you can identify when it's your phone ringing away in your bag, rather than someone else's. With this idea, you'd instead have to rummage about in your bag after recognising your friend's ringtone. I quite like that.-- zen_tom, Oct 18 2006 Quest I think I saw a commercial for this the other day. Not sure which provider was offering it. Better would be an adaptor for land lines, no more getting up to see who is calling.-- Chefboyrbored, Oct 18 2006 As far as I've seen, the only thing close is Push-to-Talk, offered by Nextel, Cingular, and perhaps a few other carriers. You push the walkie-talkie button, then say what you want, and they hear it through the speaker.-- 21 Quest, Oct 18 2006 I did the nextel thing, you walk around hopeing your friends dont say stupid things. I think Cingular made it better with the options of an IM service.....gotta run...I think my taco's are at the door.-- Chefboyrbored, Oct 18 2006 Anything that will force people to either turn their phones off of to put them into vibrate mode gets my vote any day of the week. One thing that I cannot stand is musical ringtones. Most times they are loud and generate piercing noise that just make them so annoying. What I hate the most about them is when people leave their phone behind and I have to listen to some stupid dorky song 13 times in a row because the owner of the phone was not courteous enough to turn the volume down. Also, if someone has the phone in their purse, their bag, jacket pocket or whatever, they will still let it ring 20 times before they say, "oh.. is that MY phone?" and then when they pick it up they stare at it for about 30 seconds trying to decypher the caller ID. JUST ANSWER THE DOGGONE PHONE! Oh.. but anyway.. not to get too far off the point- being able to choose the ring tone is also a fun way to surprise the person you are calling. Like if an old girlfriend calls me and she chooses one of the songs that we enjoyed together- it would be a plesant surprise to hear the song and then to hear her on the other end.-- Jscotty, Oct 18 2006 I like the idea, but it has too much potential for childish abuse. I can imagine people setting their ringtones to something vulgar, then calling people that they want to annoy. Say your target is going to a Bears game (or any arbitrary sports team with rabid fans). You set your personal ringtone to you yelling "BEARS SUCK!", and call your target at an inopportune time. (Note to Bears fans: don't take that as an attack, they're simply the first team that came to mind) So neutral from me. [ ]-- Freefall, Oct 18 2006 // much potential for childish abuse //
Indeed [+] ...
An app or link to a social media site would allow others to download and associate "your" chosen ringtone with their number.
Something would be needed to resolve duplications, though.-- 8th of 7, Nov 22 2014 random, halfbakery