Sunday, January 19, 2025: 9:39 PM: I’ve taken the leap and gotten a subscription to Copilot Pro. The next 30 days will be free and I’m hoping that because I’ve committed to the cause with a financial contribution Microsoft will rise to the occasion on their end. It does well coding from what I can tell from the free version at 3:00 AM in the morning and that’s primarily what this blind guy wants Copilot to help him with.
Changes will be coming to this server in the next ten weeks as well. I’m upgrading the service on Monday, March 24, 2025, and looking forward to picking up some new customers who need web design services as I go.
Saturday, February 15, 2025: 12:20 PM: I’ve recently taken a crash course on how to Use Verizon Wireless's Call Block Feature on iPhone. While it’s not the cure all to receiving unwanted calls and texts, it can be an effective tool when warranted. Verizon Wireless offers this rather robust call block feature for free with certain plans, which is easily configured on your iPhone to block both calls and texts. Here’s what I did to set it up and what you’ll hear if you’ve been blocked by a Verizon Wireless customer like me.
- To start: I opened the My Verizon App on my iPhone, which came preinstalled on my Verizon Wireless purchased device.
- Logging in: Signing in with my Verizon account credentials was naturally part of the process.
- Navigating to Call Blocking: Going to the "Blocks" section within the Verizon app was a bit of a pain in the ass using VoiceOver for this blind guy but I managed it anyway. Verizon Wireless needs to do a better job with their app’s accessibility for the blind.
- I then added the numbers I wished to block and saved the settings. You can block up to 5 numbers for free.
- I then turned off “iMessage” by opening “Settings” on my iPhone, going to “Apps” and then accessing the settings for the Message app.
They say at Verizon that for more comprehensive call blocking you might want to consider subscribing to Verizon’s Call Filter service for $2.99/month, which offers additional spam detection and blocking features. I do believe this too comes for free as a part of certain calling plans.
What Happens When You’re Blocked? If you’re blocked by a Verizon Wireless customer like me, you’ll hear a message along the lines of, “Welcome to Verizon Wireless. We’re sorry, the number you have dialed has calling restrictions that prevented the completion of your call.” This message indicates that your call has been blocked.
General Reasons for Blocking: There are several reasons why someone might block your number.
- Conflict Resolution: To distance oneself from a contentious relationship.
- Privacy and Safety: To protect against harassment or abuse.
- Spam Prevention: To block spam calls and texts.
Given all the features Apple has built into their iPhones to help with focus, this version of call blocking offered by Verizon Wireless is, in my mind, the nuclear option and to be used sparingly. However, sometimes it is necessary to go this route when it is pretty clear confronting a party about their behavior will not change a damn thing with regard to their attitude towards you or anyone else. I’ve personally found that in these situations, “Silence is often the best policy.”
Posting that's a little off the trolley at times... Brian is a single Newtonian Gardens Apartments resident, Self-Publishing Author, cPanel WordPress Web Host and Windows 11 powered computer tech. He’s a musician, sailor, hiker, cycler and some women would say, “Magical, too!”