DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu) (DOUGLAS SCOTT REUBEN) (03/23/89)
I've been reading the postings about Caller ID, and find that the main argument FOR implementing caller ID and/or not having caller ID blocking is to prevent crank calls. Now while I think caller ID may stop SOME annoying calls, it will not in any way affect the majority of them. The phone company itself (SNET, NYTel, N.E. Tel, etc.) states in their literature that most crank calls are made by people who know you, and generally they did not just pick your number out of the book. Crank callers usually call for a reason, thus may not be very readily deterred, and may even be MORE motivated to call if discovered. Hence, once a crank caller discovers that you have caller ID (either you tell them or the Telco contacts the crank and asks them to stop or whatever they do) they will move to another phone. Thus, while being discovered may make some crank callers hesitate from calling back again, I am afraid many will simply go to a payphone, put in a dime (or whatever) and call you from there. And if you block that specific payphone, well, there are plenty of other coin phones around. Of course a crank caller can also call collect from another LATA (this happend a few times to me, but I was never billed for it even though people at my number accepted the call - I guess the operator realized it was a crank call). Or, as was mentioned previously, the caller could use a non-Bell Calling Card (Sprint, MCI, etc) and make the call that way (although that will, with some effort, give the crank caller away if someone pursued it far enough). Hence, the only way to prevent annoying calls that I know of is to get an unlisted number. Having Caller ID may be cute for a while, and may deter some annoying solicitation calls, etc., but as a practical way to get rid of crank calls, very doubtful. Anyhow, that's my opinion... -Doug DREUBEN%Eagle.Weslyn@Wesleyan.Bitnet DREUBEN@Eagle.Wesleyan.EDU
msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (03/30/89)
Well, it would seem to me that being able to give the crank's number to the police, and having it on your machine is a fairly good deterrent. It's not easy to get a number onto your Caller*ID machine without them actualy calling you, and I'm sure the police would consider it convincing evidence. Here at Rutgers, a Hispanic activist got a long series of racist calls form a few freshmen. She followed up on it with the police, they traced the calls with the aid of NJ Bell, and now the frosh are facing a $5000 fine and 90 days per call. I'd say it's a useful deterrent. How many cranks are gonna call you long distance or from a pay phone? Mark -- Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance, RPO 1604; P.O. Box 5063 that you do not miss what is right under your nose." New Brunswick, NJ 08903-5063 rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith (OK, Bob?) msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu