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From: nstar!watcher@ndmath.math.nd.edu (watcher)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Answering Machine Messages
Message-ID: <12417@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 21 Sep 90 07:09:22 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 665, Message 5 of 9


I had a friend that used MacRecorder and SoundEdit to digitize several
of PcaBell's "the number you have called..." recordings and then patch
them together into an OGM that, while resembling the telco's
recordings, could not possibly have been same; this was done with
reverb and echo effects.  Unfortunately, when most people hear the
tri-tones, they fear the worst and hang up; hence the next revision of
this message was preceded by him saying "WAIT! don't hang up...", then
the tri-tones, etc. thus it is obviously NOT the telco's message, even
though it is made up of the same component parts. Could this really be
considered copyright infringement, much the same way copying records
or CD's or photocopying copyright protected books at the library is
considered infringement (as per the statement in most books about
unauthorized reproduction, etc) ?

I was thinking (as I sometimes do) that a neato-keen OGM would be the
tri-tones, followed by "the person you have reached <name> is
currently out of service. Please hang up and try again later, or leave
a message for their convenience." This way people's OGMs would follow
the same general format, making the interface "standard". Perhaps this
is silly.  My message? Right now it's "we're sorry, we have lost the
picture portion of our picture-mission, however we will continue with
the sound..." I'm sure somebody out there in netland will be able to
guess where I got that little snippet of audio ... (there isn't a
newsgroup for that stuff, is there?)


James Watcher (yes, that's what it says on my driver's license)
nstar!watcher@ndmath.math.nd.edu (fast)
PO Box 875  Notre Dame, IN 46556 (slow)