JAJZ801@calstate.bitnet (09/27/90)
With apologies to Marshall McCluhan (sp?), the medium is not the
message.
All the complaining about how 900 numbers are the scourge of
telephony are a little misplaced. You could make similar claims about
TV, magazines, newspapers, etc. when material is presented that
offends somebody somewhere. However, the complaints are even weaker
with 900 numbers - nobody HAS to dial them ! As with demands for
censorship of other media, I am more worried about the potential for
damage in the power gained by the censors than anything that can
happen from the presentation of the material.
However, I do agree that more control is in order to prevent
misleading (read the small print FAST) and abusive use. If the
telephone companies are going to route them through a special area
code I see no reason (being as ignorant as I am of telephone
electonics) why each call coundn't be intercepted by the switching
network and prefixed with a computer generated message which would
announce (this information MUST be in a database already, although I
expect it's only used at billing time now, just make it active and
on-line):
1. The cost/rate of the call
2. A classification (subject matter) of the response
3. An identification (code, account number) of the service provider
and the phone company itself
A time allowance would then be announced and given during which the
caller would have the opportunity to hang up without incurring any of
the announced charges. I would be willing to let the call (toll)
charges stand, if any. If complaints were in order, identification
would be available.
The classification could also be used for selective blocking of
subject matter, instead of just all 900/976, though I realize this
would probably require a much more robust calling protocol than is
currently envisioned or in place.
Jeff Sicherman jajz801@calstate.bitnet