Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!apple!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!gryphon!vector!telecom-gateway From: jsol@bu-it.bu.edu Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Memories of SxS Message-ID: Date: 10 Sep 89 20:07:44 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 25 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 365, message 5 of 7 Yes, those magnanimous switches were something to behold. What I found most amusing was the absorbing of digits. In the Niantic CT exchange (they just went DMS or ESS this year) (203-739), you only had to dial 9-xxxx to get local numbers. The local calling area was them and New London (all started with 4), Norwich (all started with 8) and then recently Old Lyme (434 -- which broke the 4-meant-new-london rule into 44 for New London, and 43 for Old Lyme). Anyway, you could dial: 7373737373737377773333377777333331-800-536-8000 and it would happily interpret the 1 at the end of the absorption, and feed the rest of the number to the tandem. In any case, as a kid growing up, I had PLENTY of fun with this. In Hamden, CT: (203-288, 203-248, 203-281), you could dial 231 if you wanted 281, or 238 if you wanted 288. That's sort of the same thing as absorption but more complex, since there are two digits you can absorb. I believe (203-684) Stafford Springs, CT is still a SxS exchange, as is Orange, MA (508-544), but the number is definitely getting smaller. I think there are more fun things you can do with an ESS now than ever before. Like "Intelledial" (residential centrex). I just got mine and love it. --jsol