dwl@hou5e.UUCP (08/26/83)
The original article, as well as this followup, should probably have
been posted to fa.telecom...
I agree that it would be useful to know who is calling before you
answer, but how much are you willing to pay for this information? I
don't think any information ought to be carried from one place to
another for free. But if every incoming call, answered or not, cost
the recipient a message unit or something, you'd end up paying a lot
for junk-call traffic, among other things.
>From a feasibility standpoint, much of the present Bell System is
not capable of providing such information to the called subscriber.
This will change, over a number of years, as more of the network is
converted to Common Channel Inter-office Signalling (CCIS). For
now, the central office receiving an inter-office call does not know
the calling number. Eventually, the information will become
available to the receiving office. Making it available,
automatically or on-request, to the calling subscriber will then
become technically feasible.
-Dave Levenson
-ATTIS
-Holmdel, NJperelgut@utcsrgv.UUCP (Stephen Perelgut) (08/28/83)
If I were listening to this right now and if I owned a telephony company
I would be making plans. I would start offering a service which did not
prepend the users telephone number. Trivially, I would put a fake header
stream there. Less trivially, I could just route all their calls without
header through a central switch. Then all the receiver could tell was
that a <non-Bell> company call came through. Perhaps even Ma Bell would
offer this sort of "unlisted" number.
Second offer would be a little device that you could use to change the
prepended number. Possibly not for legal purposes, but a useful toy.
--
Stephen Perelgut Computer Systems Research Group University of Toronto
Usenet: {linus, ihnp4, allegra, decvax, floyd}!utcsrgv!perelgut
ARPA: utcsrgv!perelgut@UW-BEAVERdavid@tekid.UUCP (David Hayes) (08/31/83)
"how much are you willing to pay for this information? I don't think any information ought to carried from one place to another for free." I don't know about you, but the phone company I know doesn't do anythng for free. I realize I personally am not DIRECTLY paying to use this forum, however, I pay through the nose for local service. I don't believe Ma Bell has been losing money.... tektronix!tekid!david
budd@arizona.UUCP (09/01/83)
I have often thought that a gadget that displayed the number of an incoming call would be most useful. Not only would it permit you to avoid answering the phone if it is a number you recognize and don't want to talk with, but think about how it would cut down such abuses as obscene phone calls, using phones for ransom messages, etc etc. I have been told that phone messages are preceeded by a header as they travel through the phone system network, and that this header has the necessary information, so such a gadget might be possible. Anyone know?
eager@amd70.UUCP (Mike Eager) (09/02/83)
With regard to the comment about not carrying information for free across
the phone network, and that perhaps a message unit should be charged to the
>recipient< when the number was called:
Most of the work in creating the connection is performed whether the
call is answered or not. When I call from California to New York, all
the switching and routing is performed, then the called phone is rung.
If there is no answer, there is no charge. The charge is for the
connection, not for the switching.
Charging for someone calling me could make my phone bill very high,
what with the automatic dialers calling with messages for companies
and random calls.mvag@houxf.UUCP (09/04/83)
In one office I worked in the telephone was connected to an answering system that allowed me to listen to the message being recorded. If I wanted to talk to the person I would turn off the machine and answer the phone. Other calls would be returned at my convenience.
geller@rlgvax.UUCP (David Geller) (09/09/83)
Having worked for GTE Business Communication Systems, Inc. for a short while I found that it is extremely difficult to produce such a gadget that would tell you the number of the person calling you while outside of a PABX environment. Telephone numbers are often stored within TRUNK databases, I think. It is entirely possible, though, to know who is calling you before you answer if the call has been generated from within a PABX. GTE has such a features.
wm@tekchips.UUCP (09/14/83)
re: people who say "I don't think any information ought to be carried from one place to another for free." When your phone rings, it is carrying the information that someone is calling you. Should I have to pay whenever my phone rings? Should the caller have to pay? I know these are silly arguments, but the above is a silly statement. I personally like the idea of having a device that makes people key in a code number AFTER they dial your number and before your phone will ring. Wm Leler
veach@ihuxl.UUCP (09/16/83)
In some countries the caller pays even if the telephone is not answered. The idea is that the network did its job and therefore should be paid for its services. Sounds reasonable to me. -- Michael T. Veach ihuxl!veach