bghauk@watdragon.waterloo.edu (Brian G. Hauk) (10/11/90)
> Make a private call (either through cancel-caller-ID, or by routing the > call through the operator or the long-distance service of your choice). Anonymous calls are frequently made, and it must remain convenient to make them. Of the above approaches to disabling caller-ID, only the first is acceptable, if all it involves is pressing a button on the telephone/computer. Brian Hauk
peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) (10/13/90)
I am currently recieving sporadic calls at odd times from some munchkin who calls and plays Metallica at me. If Caller-ID was in place, this would not happen. Sure, I can use call-blocking (if implemented), but this does not serve as a deterrent: keeping said bozo from acting in the first place. Sure, I could use call-return (if implemented), but again this does not serve as a deterrent. OK, how about call-trace? Now that's like using H-bombs to kill fire ants. When a neigborhood kid throws stones at my window, or the neighbour plays their stereo too loud, I'd have to be a real jerk to call the cops instead of making a simple request in person. Why should it be any different when they're using the telephone to bug me? Peter da Silva
ropg@ooc.uva.nl (Rop Gonggrijp) (10/14/90)
Peter da Silva talks about dealing with junk phone calls through use of ISDN, noting that it should prevent the activity happening in the first place, rather than stopping it once it happens, which isn't as good a solution. The phone network was never meant to give the called person direct id on the person calling. Same thing with letters: I don't have to show ID to be granted the right to mail something. Sure, I can mail nasty things to people, but I still think it's nice for people to be able to mail me stuff without worrying whether I tell anybody who they are. (I publish a hacker-magazine in Holland, so this does come in handy). Rop Gonggrijp
gast@CS.UCLA.EDU (David Gast) (10/23/90)
Peter da Silva writes: > I am currently recieving sporadic calls at odd times from some munchkin.. Use an answering machine and just don't pay any attention to his calls. If it's the middle of the night, wait until morning. > If Caller-ID was in place, this would not happen. Not necessarily. What if he is calling from out of LATA? What if he is calling from out of state? What if he is calling from a PBX or someother device like a cellular phone that will not provide a phone number? What if he calls you from a different pay phone every night? > I can use call-blocking (if implemented), but this does not serve as > a deterrent: keeping said bozo from acting in the first place. Call-blocking can and will be implemented regardless of whether caller-id is. And given the scenarios above, caller id is not that much of deterent. Further, Caller Id may increase your nuisance calls. Since everyone and every cretin that works for everyone you call will now have your phone number. David Gast
peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) (10/23/90)
Rop Gonggrijp replies to my earlier article on Caller-ID... > noting that it should prevent the activity happening in the first place, > rather than stopping it once it happens, which isn't as good a solution. More or less right. Junk phone calls... I like that. > The phone network was never meant to give the called person direct > id on the person calling. Meant by whom? The phone network was never meant to allow direct dialling... until it was implemented. It was never meant to allow data transfer... until it was implemented. It was never meant to allow junk phone calls... they just happen. What "the phone network" was "meant" to do is a red herring, I'm afraid. I can say "the phone system" was meant to be for "important matters" for which physical mail is too slow... and crank calls and telemarketing doesn't fit that definition. > Same thing with letters: I don't have to show ID to be granted the > right to mail something. You also can't interrupt someone at an arbitrary time (say, 3AM) with a letter. Oh, sure, I can ignore phone calls. Turn the ringer off. Let my answering machine/voice mail system/whatever take all my calls. But that would be to abandon the immediacy that is one of the advantages of the phone system. > Sure, I can mail nasty things to people, but I still think it's nice > for people to be able to mail me stuff without worrying whether I tell > anybody who they are. There are now, and will be for the forseeable future, methods of blocking CLASS/ANI/ISDN variants of caller identification. In fact I would prefer there be a "privacy" mode rather than let people use ad-hoc methods of getting around it. That way I can distinguish between calls from people who don't want to let me know their number from simple "number not available" cases... and let the electrochemical computer between my ears decide what to do about the call rather than depend on some misprogrammed piece of junk at the phone company that I've got my "call block" on. Peter da Silva
peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) (10/25/90)
David Gast suggests various alternatives for dealing with prank calls: > Use an answering machine and just don't pay any attention to his calls. > If it's the middle of the night, wait until morning. I guess I can safely assume you have no relatives in other time zones. > > If Caller-ID was in place, this would not happen. > Not necessarily. What if he is calling from out of LATA? Then he's paying for the call. Munchkins can't afford that. > What if he is calling from out of state? What if he is calling from > a PBX or someother device like a cellular phone that will not provide > a phone number? Not the category I get nuisance calls from. I can just see some of these munchkins explaining all those toll charges to their parents. > What if he calls you from a different pay phone every night? Then he'll catch cold and I won't have to worry. > Call-blocking can and will be implemented regardless of whether caller-id > is. And given the scenarios above, caller id is not that much of deterent. Your scenarios, not mine. > Further, Caller Id may increase your nuisance calls, since everyone and > every cretin that works for everyone you call will now have your phone > number. If they want my phone number it's in the white pages. Peter da Silva