lars@ACC-SB-UNIX.ARPA (Lars Poulsen) (01/09/86)
When I moved from Copenhagen, Denmark to Santa Barbara, CA (and
I hope I'll stay as happy with that change as I as now, 5 years later)
there were certain differences that I had to get used to.
In Denmark, there are several separate service numbers for directory
assistance:
0015, 0016 ... International Directory Assistance, by country group
0034 Name to number
(area code) 0034 Name to number for that area code
0039 (??) Number to name-and-address
(area code) Number to name-and-address in that area code
So when I got here, there came a day when I needed number-to-name-and-address
lookup, and I called the operator to ask how to get that information, and
I was shocked to learn that the phone company apparently is barred by
reguylation from providing that information to consumers, ("privacy")
but commercial businesses can provide it at great expense, either by
typing it up from the phone book, or (in some states, I think) by buying
the tape from the phone company.
Of course there are legitimate privacy concerns, but I feel that those
can be addressed by unlisted numbers. Oh, by the way, in Denmark, once
an unlisted number has been used for business purposes, or printed in
a newspaper ad for any purpose, the "unlisted" protection drops off:
the public is then deemed to have a right to know who you are.
The Danish rules feel natural to me, of course: I grew up with them.
Would someone who grew up with the rules here explain in what way
they personally feel that that policy would be wrong to introduce here ?
(In other words, I don't want to hear how it happened to be the way it is,
but would you object strongly if it were changed, and if so, why ?)
Lars Poulsen @ Advanced Computer Communications
<LARS@ACC.ARPA>telecom@ucbvax.UUCP (01/14/86)
> In Denmark, there are several separate service numbers for directory > assistance: > 0015, 0016 ... International Directory Assistance, by country group > 0034 Name to number > (area code) 0034 Name to number for that area code > 0039 (??) Number to name-and-address > (area code) Number to name-and-address in that area code > So when I got here, there came a day when I needed number-to-name-and-address > lookup, and I called the operator to ask how to get that information, and > I was shocked to learn that the phone company apparently is barred by > regulation from providing that information to consumers, ("privacy") > ... When I was a kid during the 50's, I can distinctly remember that the information operator (old 411) could give out telephone listings by street number. This service seems to have disappeared after the great NNN-XXXX conversion, which in my area was around 1960. There was also a lot less concern about personal privacy in the 50's! ==> Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York <== ==> UUCP {decvax|dual|rocksanne|rocksvax|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry <== ==> VOICE 716/741-9185 {rice|shell}!baylor!/ <== ==> FAX 716/741-9635 {G1, G2, G3 modes} duke!ethos!/ <== ==> seismo!/ <== ==> "Have you hugged your cat today?" ihnp4!/ <==