[fa.telecom] TELECOM Digest V4 #127

telecom@ucbvax.ARPA (11/24/84)

From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) <Telecom-Request@BBNCCA>


TELECOM Digest     Fri, 23 Nov 84 20:24:35 EST    Volume 4 : Issue 127

Today's Topics:
            Re:  Strange numbers in AT&T's int'l recordings
                            public figure
                                 976
                        Pac Bel's "Party Line"
                     telco provided "party-lines"
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Date:     Fri, 23 Nov 84 13:26:24 EST
From:     Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@Brl-Vld.ARPA>
To:       jellinek.pa@xerox.arpa
Subject:  Re:  Strange numbers in AT&T's int'l recordings

You have said "212 alludes to...(being) routed thru international
switching center in White Plains, NY".  But White Plains is in 914.


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Date: Fri, 23-Nov-84 12:17:27 PST
From: Lauren Weinstein <vortex!lauren@RAND-UNIX.ARPA>
Subject: public figure
To: TELECOM@MC

Sure, if the published information in question dealt directly
with technical issues.  But the examples of "harmful published
information" that I was using were things like credit card numbers,
comings and goings from the home, and sexual proclivities.  None
of these areas relate to "technical" issues in the manner you
suggest.  A person has to be a public figure in the "general" sense
before the broad base of their privacy begins to erode, and even
then items like credit card numbers would never be included in the
"eroded" catagory.

--Lauren--




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Date: Fri, 23-Nov-84 12:24:27 PST
From: Lauren Weinstein <vortex!lauren@RAND-UNIX.ARPA>
Subject: 976
To: TELECOM@MC

Some of the services are attempting to get the same 976 access numbers
in each city, mainly to simplify their advertising, but they are
still distinct services local to each area code.  Even in Los Angeles
the 213 and 818 codes are providing separate 976 services (the 818 976 
service was awarded to General Telephone, by the way...)

In L.A., 976 services are in great demand.  There
isn't enough central office equipment to support the number of
people who wanted to provide services, and the available circuits
were awarded by lottery.  Once you are awarded a service, you MUST
begin using it within a short time or the lines will be given to
someone else.

--Lauren--



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Date: Fri, 23 Nov 84 13:32:05 pst
From: Phil Lapsley <phil%ucbeast@Berkeley>
To: telecom@bbncca.ARPA
Subject: Pac Bel's "Party Line"

     It's interesting to note that a group of individuals have been
running a service similar to Pac Bell's "Party Line" for some time
now in San Francisco.  I forget the name of their conference, but
it was well run, using a microcomputer with a voice synthesizer and
five or six lines.  Each individual had their own access code, and
when you called and entered your code, the computer would announce
your arrival on the conference with a short trumpet-like fanfare
and then give stats on how many people were on the conference, etc.

     As for the concern that people would give out Sprint numbers,
etc. on the conference, well that indeed did happen, and the only
reason I would suspect that phreaks wouldn't use Pac Bell's service
would be the fear that maybe Pac Bell *is* listening.  As far
as legal responsibility for publishing... well, I won't touch that
with a 1200 baud modem.

						Phil

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Date: Fri, 23-Nov-84 12:30:33 PST
From: Lauren Weinstein <vortex!lauren@RAND-UNIX.ARPA>
Subject: telco provided "party-lines"
To: TELECOM@MC

I suspect that these may be a legal "sleeper" -- I wouldn't be at
all surprised to hear about major lawsuits resulting from information
passed through these lines.  They are a bit different than a BBS
since you can only "broadcast" to a limited number of people (the
number of people on the line at a given time) but they may be 
opening the door to telco vulnerability for "offending" messages.
What if jerks started exchanging telco calling card numbers
over such a service?  

Should be interesting to see what happens, from a legal
standpoint, with these services.

--Lauren--



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