SPGDCM%UCBCMSA.Berkeley.EDU@UCBVAX.BERKELEY.EDU.UUCP (01/28/87)
MSG:FROM: SPGDCM --UCBCMSA TO: NETWORK --NETWORK 01/27/87 13:41:14 To: NETWORK --NETWORK Network Address From: Doug Mosher <SPGDCM at UCBCMSA> Title: MVS/Tandem Systems Manager (415)642-5823 Office: Evans 257, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Subject: several topics To: Telecom@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU SPGDCM@UCBCMSA.Berkeley.EDU Re: Thanks Elmo For Moderating for awhile and welcome to Jsol. Re: Hold Circuits Thanks for all the contributions. They elucidate how one topic can relate to a large number of individual needs, e.g. how many phones, whether one uses conflicting devices such as call-waiting or demon-dialing so that signals overlap, preferences for switchhook-length changes or voice-over beeping etc. It becomes clear that one person's total solution can be impossible or unacceptable to another, and makes the diversity of a conference most welcome. For my purposes I will want to try the circuit suggested and modified by others in the last several telecom-digests; this is the circuit that one adds to each phone. This is my preference, because I don't want to use # or * (demon dialer conflict), switchhook delay (call-waiting conflict and personal difficulty emitting reliable extended delays), hear beeps (preference), or use relays (size, preference). I am nervous about experimenting with component values, but a recent entry gave some additional helpful value suggestions. Re: Line-in-use indicator A past issue of Telecom-Digest had a schematic for a line-powered line-in-use indicator, which would light up if any off-hook condition existed on the pair. I cannot readily locate it. About 1-1.5 years ago I believe. Question: if one does not have local hard-copy, what is the most efficient way to scan or index the past library of telecom-digests? Re: Evolving Telephone Products; Hold, Speakerphones I predict that store phones will more frequently begin to include Hold because as more homes have acquired multiple instruments, the need will become more apparent. As I mentioned earlier, watch out for false-hold, a local switch on a phone which cannot be reset at another location. Other evolving features: on-hook-dialing/listen-on-hold (call this "semi- speakerphone) and true two-way speakerphone. To be noted: at first I thought semi-speakerphone was all I wanted, because many true-speakerphones sound odd and who can tolerate it. HOWEVER: at UC Berkeley many offices including ours recently added Northern-Telecom DMS-100 P-phones, which come with the semi-speakerphone feature, and this proves to have the following limitations: sure you can see if the line is busy or answers, nice, but then you have to grab the phone quickly when anyone actually answers or they get confused. Similarly, it is a great relief to be able to listen on hold, since being put on hold, or worse, being put on music-hold-wait for extended periods when initially calling, is becoming commonplace (airlines and ticketron in particular). Saves the shoulder muscles etc. BUT one must maintain continual tension and surveillance and proximity, since at any moment after the heavy 10 minute wait, an operator comes on, quickly says hello-hello-hello and hangs up, resetting you to the end of the line on the next call. Perhaps the most offensive combination is being put on extended hold, so you put the phone back in on-hook-listening, but every two minutes or so an operator comes on the line and says "still waiting?" Unless you dash over and grab the headset and talk fast, you get hung up. You must do this over and over at unexpected times until the final connection comes thru. I'd rather get a sore shoulder than do this frequent mad dashing about. What is really needed is true speakerphone, simply so one can say from your nearby location, "YES STILLWAITING" or finally "HELLO, WAITAMINNIT, HERE I COME" and then pick up the real phone with adequate acoustics etc. Also one can use the speakerphone when initially calling, up to the point of reaching the real person. For these purposes, the lesser acoustics are acceptable. Note that as the telephone systems evolve, they create transition periods during which there is not enough public understanding to handle a feature well, followed by later understanding and integration. For example, the initial days of call-waiting and call-forwarding were very confusing, but now people understand when they hear the hiccup, or are told "I have to get the call-waiting", or they get a business secretary when they call your home and are forwarded. Similarly here, there are widespread extended-holds, but not the understanding of how to handle the proper response (on-hook-listening without the ability to easily say YESSTILLWAITING). Thanks, Doug a several topics