gast@cs.ucla.edu (David Gast) (03/27/89)
In a recent issue of the digest "Fred R. Goldstein dtn226-7388" <goldstein%delni.DEC@decwrl.dec.com> writes: > Subject: Calling Line Identification Restriction (CLIR) writes: > (BTW, the CCITT but not ANSI is working on Connected Line ID, > which tells you where you call was actually answered, if forwarded.) This idea is a complete invasion of privacy. The only exception would be if the called party requests that the calling party obtain it. I think that most people on both sides of the Calling Line ID controversy will agree that Connected Line ID is a bad idea. Everyone probably agrees that we have the right to answer the phone anywhere we damn well please without having the calling party know where we are unless we explicitly choose to provide that information. Giving our location to a random caller seems like a major invasion of privacy to me. For example, a would be burgler calls your home, you have set call forwarding, and now the burgler knows that you are not at home. Very convenient for him. /* Sarcasm mode on */ If Connected Line ID is a good idea, why not take Connected Line ID, one step further? Why not identify the room in your house where you are? Then the calling party could begin ``Mrs. Jones, I am sorry to bother you while you are in the john, but I have an exciting new product that ..." Why not identify who you are? (The phone could match your finger print on the handle with a national data base maintained and sold by the phone company to anyone who wants to buy it.) /* Sarcasm mode off */ Unfortunately, that is the direction we are going. We somehow believe that if it is technologically feasible, then we should do it. Does anyone see any reasonable need for this Connected Line ID? (Except where the callee specifically wants the caller to know where he is calling.) To get the definitive answer to this problem, however, we will have to wait and see what the world's authority on telecom policy, Mike Royko, has to say. :-) David Gast gast@cs.ucla.edu, {uunet,ucbvax,rutgers}!{ucla-cs,cs.ucla.edu}!gast Note: Mr Goldstein did not endorse the idea. He reported on it from his role as a member of the ANSI subcommittee on CLID and CLIR.