dattier@ddsw1.mcs.com (David Tamkin) (11/29/90)
Dan Hepner wrote in volume 10, issue 851: | The proposed Pac Bell scheme doesn't allow for easy | limiting of incoming calls to only those which contain CID info. It's easy enough: look at your CID display, and if it says "blocked," "private," or "refused," don't pick up the phone. David Tamkin Box 7002 Des Plaines IL 60018-7002 708 518 6769 312 693 0591 MCI Mail: 426-1818 GEnie: D.W.TAMKIN CIS: 73720,1570 dattier@ddsw1.mcs.com
m21198@mwunix.mitre.org (John McHarry) (12/04/90)
David Tamkin notes that one can get around the defect in CLASS that it will not block the class of callers blocking transmission of their number by simply not answering when the display so indicates. This sounds to me like an opportunity to add a feature to the clid box: If the caller is blocking, don't even ring, or better yet, answer with an announcement that you don't take such calls. In the latter case, the caller has to pay for the announcement, if the call was toll or message unit. Note that one must distinguish between blocked and out-of-area calls, unless one wants to block all inter-lata calls. Unfortunately, most boiler room calls are probably in the latter class. I would like a feature that would route most calls to an answering machine, but ring for certain known numbers. If this worked (when it works?) inter-lata, I could leave my answering machine on and not irritate my mother, who does NOT want to leave a message if I am not home. I would guess such boxes are not too far in the future since they would not be at all hard to build.
shri@ncst.ernet.in (H.Shrikumar) (12/12/90)
In article <15217@accuvax.nwu.edu> m21198@mwunix.mitre.org (John McHarry) writes: >sounds to me like an opportunity to add a feature to the clid box: If >the caller is blocking, don't even ring, or better yet, answer with an >announcement that you don't take such calls. In the latter case, the >caller has to pay for the announcement, if the call was toll or >message unit. And (shudder!) if I were to call from here in India, to such a number. Surely my caller id will not show up, so will all my calls be diverted to a bit-bucket ? And I'd pay toll too !! .. at about a day's pay per such a call !!! Please do remember the rest of the world :-) shrikumar ( shri@ncst.in ) [Moderator's Note: The distinction would be in the phrasing on the read out: 'ID refused' would be an entirely different scenario than 'ID not available' or 'ID not provided by other telco', etc. I think almost any of us would accept the latter type of call in good faith where we might be inclined to reject the first type. PAT]