lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (09/15/83)
Transmission of a caller's telephone number to the terminating party would accomplish nothing in terms of reducing obscene (or other similar types) of calls. The callers would simply move out to payphones, where the calling number wouldn't matter. Even given call restriction based on calling number capabilities, I suspect that most people would need to allow calls from payphones to be accepted, since you never know when an emergency situation may arise. We can imagine more complex identification techniques, of course. However, I believe that we are basically dreaming. Some sort of call screening *is* coming, but the passing of the calling party's number to the terminating subscriber is not in the cards for the near future. Even if such technology were ready to be implemented, I would expect years of legal battles from various parties to prevent its implementation for a relatively long period. --Lauren--
aps@decvax.UUCP (Armando P. Stettner) (09/18/83)
Lauren, wouldn't you agree that when the "System" (is still only one system?) completes the implementation of CCIS it will be possible for the passing of calling party number to the called party? I do. I also believe that if such a feature ever gets set up that a customer will pay for the option of not having his number transmitted. In fact, it may be the default for those customers that have unlisted numbers. There is the capability in CCIS for the automatic accepting of collect calls from specified numbers. The customer would/could simply enter the phone numbers with command codes as they do now to forward calls or to program the speed calling features. In order for this to work always, the "system" might selectively keep the originating phone number from going out to the subscriber and just send it along far enough to make a go no go decision. For those numbers that allow transmission of their numbers, the numbers will be transmitted all the way to the destination "instrument". aps. P.S. I just had new phones installed and the number that was given to me by the business office was not correct (I could not dial the new number from my main number). I called the operator and she confirmed that it was not the number I was calling from but would not tell me what it was...