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From: mao@postgres.berkeley.edu (Mike Olson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Telephone Company "Inside Humor"
Message-ID: <12314@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 18 Sep 90 14:53:08 GMT
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In <12247@accuvax.nwu.edu>, kitty!larry@uunet.uu.net (Larry Lippman)
writes:

> 	Humor is a very subjective concept.  Almost every industry,
> profession and vocation has inside humor and humorous escapades which
> would be abhorrent to the general public if disclosed.

Perhaps, but the law is far from subjective on this point.  The
activities you describe are illegal.  If you listen in on a private
communication for any other reason than verifying that line quality is
acceptable, you are breaking the law.

> ...  Such antics will always occur because of *human* nature.

So what's the point?  Does that excuse the blatant disregard for
privacy?

> I have to admit that *I* found humor in the previous article.
> I must also admit that as a one time member of a secret fraternity
> known as The Telephone Company :-), I, too, have participated in
> similar antics.

About the nicest thing I can think of to say here is that you must
have been pretty immature to find it amusing to play practical jokes
on people bereaved by the death of a loved one.  The fact that you're
willing to boast about it now indicates that you haven't made a lot of
progress since then.


Mike Olson