The Blue chips do answer their phones because they are actual functioning businesses who can afford receptionists or call centers. Give Bill Gates a call or Warren Buffet or Michael Dell, etc. and see how many you actually get to talk to you in person on the phone. They have a whole PR department.
Alex has a technology, there is no receptionist, call center, PR department. He is trying to create a business.
If you paint your house lime green and people start calling to complain they don't like the color of your house, how long will it take before you stop answering the phone? I imagine in less than two days you will stop responding to any of those calls, and if your personality is structured in a certain way you may paint the trim day glow orange just for spite. IF I were Alex I would not answer one call or one email based upon what I read on this board, because it is OBVIOUS to anyone that a simple "I am alive and well from Alex," will be interpretted by many as having gotten to first base AND that will just accelerate the emails and phone calls. Until there is something of substance to report silence seems, at the very least, a good plan for retaining sanity. I suspect there is nothing of substance to report. JMO