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" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------ 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-- ------------------------------ 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-- ------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------ 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-- ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest ******************************