Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!apple!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!pollux!attctc!vector!telecom-gateway From: langz@asylum.sf.ca.us (Lang Zerner) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Caller ID Privacy Question Message-ID: Date: 4 Sep 89 16:03:36 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Reply-To: langz@asylum.UUCP (Lang Zerner) Organization: The Great Escape, Inc Lines: 30 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 347, message 4 of 9 The main reason proponents of caller ID state in support of their view is that they should be able to prevent harassment. Just knowing the number at which the call originates doesn't stop the caller from continuing to call, so the only way really to stop the harrassment is to report the number to the telco and request that they take action (unless you view counter-harrassment as a valid response, which idea has its own attractive mercenary attraction :-). One solution implemented by some BOCs is to provide a "Call Trace" *-sequence which logs the number of the most recent caller with the BOC. The call recipient can then call the telco to request action be taken against the caller (as, presumably, she would have done even if she had received the number via a caller ID display). This way, legitimate callers can retain the privilege of keeping their numbers private, while harrassing callers could not make use of this privilege to escape detection. Why is this solution not sufficient? -- Be seeing you... --Lang Zerner langz@asylum.sf.ca.us UUCP:bionet!asylum!langz ARPA:langz@athena.mit.edu "...and every morning we had to go and LICK the road clean with our TONGUES!" [Moderator's Note: Part of the objection to call-tracing as the *only* option available is our knowledge of telco bureaucracy. A trace request on Friday at 5 PM might well sit in someone's in-basket until Monday morning. Then, there will be some paperwork. By comparison, most of those calls would cease instantly if the called party had the ability to simply return one of them, and advise the caller his number had been identified. Most phreaks and other types of telephone nuisances work best in anonymity. Take that away, and the problem nearly always ends immediatly. PT]