Telecom-REQUEST@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU (JSol) (06/13/88)
TELECOM Digest Sunday, June 12, 1988 4:59PM
Volume 8, Issue 99
Today's Topics:
Re: taking photographs of meters
Re: Cornell's stupid phones (was re: hotel phone ripoffs)
Submission for comp-dcom-telecom
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From: Peter Kendell <mcvax!tcom.stc.co.uk!pete@uunet.UU.NET>
Subject: Re: taking photographs of meters
Date: 10 Jun 88 08:59:05 GMT
>From article <527@sering.cwi.nl>, by dfk@cwi.nl (Daniel Karrenberg):
}
} In article <8805271347.AA16475@swlabs.UUCP> jack@swlabs.UUCP (Jack Bonn) writes:
} >....
} >I the U.K., the meters are kept in the CO and were read periodically for the
} >purpose of billing. To save effort they had devised a scheme to have a
} >camera traverse the bank of meters in an automatic manner. A picture was
} >taken of each group of 4 counters which were then more easily read by
} >someone working at a desk.
} >
} >Now there's progress.
}
} In Germany the (mechanical) meters in the CO are grouped in square blocks of
} about 20x20. They have "handheld" cameras with a tubus (english?) that exactly
} fits over one such block. The reason for taking the pictures is not only to
} read them at a desk but also to have some tangible proof in case of transcription
} errors.
}
} And yes, that technology is still in widespread use.
} --
} Daniel Karrenberg Future Net: <dfk@cwi.nl>
} CWI, Amsterdam Oldie Net: mcvax!dfk
} The Netherlands Because It's There Net: DFK@MCVAX
That's the method still in common use here. I've never heard
of this 4-at-a-time scanning system.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Peter Kendell <pete@tcom.stc.co.uk> |
| ...{uunet!}mcvax!ukc!stc!pete |
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From: kevin@calvin.ee.cornell.edu (Kevin Tubbs)
Subject: Re: Cornell's stupid phones (was re: hotel phone ripoffs)
Date: 12 Jun 88 02:38:02 GMT
In article <2772@c3pe.UUCP> stein@c3pe.UUCP (Mike Stein) writes:
> My theory is that their billing machine did not count any call that
>lasted less than a minute - as all the "no pets" and most answering machines
>were. The only ones I was charged for were those where the cats passed and
>we got into more serious negotiation.
I do the service for the phone system at a local motel, and it works this way
too. A lot of the cheaper systems can't tell if the call completes at all,
much less when. Billing starts after about a minute, even if you're listening
to nothing but ringing or a busy signal.
The most astounding, stupid, unbelieveable case of a phone system not knowing
if/when calls complete is right here at Cornell. In order to "save money",
Cornell bought an AT&T System 85. It is so retarded that it doesn't know
when calls complete. They have a big problem with people making long distance
calls, getting a busy or no answer, then they flash the hookswitch to to get
dial tone and try again. If they flash too quickly, it puts the first call
on "hold", and they end up getting charged for that non-existent call for as
long as the handset is off hook!
I'd better quit before I get tense and flamey, which is what talking about
the Cornell phone fiasco does to me...
--
Kevin Tubbs, 5152 Upson, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853 (607) 255-8703
kevin@calvin.ee.cornell.edu {uunet,rochester}!cornell!calvin!kevin
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From: stpstn!aad@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Anthony A. Datri)
Date: 12 Jun 88 03:17:36 GMT
Subject: Submission for comp-dcom-telecom
From: aad@stpstn.UUCP (Anthony A. Datri)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Stupid question -- what is ISDN?
Message-ID: <1821@stpstn.UUCP>
Date: 12 Jun 88 03:17:35 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Stepstone Corporation, Sandy Hook, CT
Lines: 10
Excuse my ignorance, but just what is ISDN? All I've been able to
find is useless babble in tabloids -- the kind of publications who
call emacs "a unix program that runs on pyramids"
--
@disclaimer(Any concepts or opinions above are entirely mine, not those of my
employer, my GIGI, or my 11/34)
beak is beak is not
Anthony A. Datri,SysAdmin,StepstoneCorporation,stpstn!aad
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Date: Sun, 12 Jun 88 02:31:48 EDT
From: USEREAFJ%mts.rpi.edu@itsgw.rpi.edu
In response to Greg Monti's (NPR) post about AT&T no longer handling
976 calls from one LATA to anther, I know of a few cases where this is
not true.
For example, I can call the Chicago 976 numbers (312-976-1212 for weather
, 976-1616 for time, etc.), from anywhere in the country (I'm not sure about
Canada, but see no reason why it wouldn't go through from there...). I can
call the New York 976 numbers from almost anywhere, at least the major cities
that I've been too recently. Connecticut 976, although it is only for lottery
results, is also accessible from almost anywhere. San Francisco's interactive
976 numbers can also be reached by AT&T, as can San Jose's, although I have
not tried to call Weather-Trak in San Jose lately. (Weather Trak was one of
the main 976 numbers that my friends called it San Jose. In New York,
Weather Trak is a non-976 number, 212-355-1212, which makes it cheaper to
call from San Jose to New York City to use Weather Trak, at least in the
evenings...)
I know that Sprint and MCI eliminated 976 calls about 2 years ago,
to avoid fraud, but this means that Sprint and MCI customers can not
access these services either. I guess Sprint and MCI and the rest of
the alternates figure this the reduction in toll fraud is worth a little
customer dissatisfaction. (As if there isn't enough dissatisfaction
allready! :-) )
As to 900 numbers, I realize that 900 is a special area code set up
for mass announcements, but what I was curious about was how a 900
number, take for example 900-909-7000, which is a chat-line in the New
York Metro area, can limit calls to area codes 212,201,718,914,and 516?
I received a few good responoses to this, but unfortunately I can not
summarize as I do not have access to my old account until next week.
Oh, finally, not all LD companies have eliminated 976 access. A friend
of mine in PA uses a small service called "Red Rose", which allows 976
calls. It's probably an AT&T reseller, so perhaps this has something to
do with it. Not really sure...
-Doug
..
Dreuben@Eagle.Weslyn
Dreuben%Eagle.weslyn@Wesleyan.Bitnet
..
(temporarily at: usereafj@rpitsmts.bitnet)
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End of TELECOM Digest
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