Path: utzoo!attcan!telly!problem!compus!lethe!yunexus!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!decwrl!ogicse!milton!cyberoid
From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Caller ID:  Is comp.dcom.telecom biased?
Message-ID: <15377@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 29 Jan 91 08:32:04 GMT
Organization: Human Interface Technology Lab, Univ. of Wash., Seattle
Lines: 83


Following is a posting from comp.dcom.telecom, the popular newsgroup on
telecommunications.  The first part is a status report from Atlanta,
where Southern Bell is forcing customers to accept Caller ID without the
minimal safeguards of public choice, like per-call blocking.  But it's
the moderator's addendum that I want you to especially notice:


Subject: Atlanta / Georgia Caller*ID Update
Message-ID: <16495@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 28 Jan 91 18:34:25 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Reply-To: bill@eedsp.gatech.edu
Organization: TELECOM Digest
Lines: 52
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 75, Message 9 of 12
 
 
I just spoke with Southern Bell's marketing department today to get
the latest info on Caller*ID.  You may remember that according to my
"inside source" at Southern Bell, CLID was supposed to have been
available FOR ORDERING today (Jan. 28).  That is not currently the
case.  A "no-later-than" implemementation date for the metropolitan
Atlanta area was set for February 14, according to Southern Bell PR
folks (as of my conversation with them in late Dec. '90).
 
As of sometime in the past week or so, Southern Bell is referring all
--MORE--(32%)
 
CLID questions to their Marketing department - the folks who will
actually market (naturally) and take orders for this new service.  My
call today to marketing - (404) 780-2525 - revealed that Southern Bell
will be holding training for their people beginning Feb. 14 and that
is quite likely the earliest date at which orders will now be taken.
Technically speaking, as of my last conversation with my "inside
source", the switching equipment and SS7 is all ready for CLID and the
appropriate software has been loaded to the various metro Atlanta
switches.  What currently stands between this stage and the next in
which the service is actually offered to the public is a (1)
testing/debugging phase (currently in progress) and (2) training of
the order-takers (see above), currently scheduled for Feb. 14.
 
Bottom line and my personal assessment: CLID will not be on-line until
Feb. 14 at the earliest.  With all due credit to Southern Bell, they
never went public with any date prior to Feb. 14.  It now appears that
their "no-later-than" date has since become a "no-sooner-than" date.
The feelings that I get from my various conversations with Southern
Bell employees (including my "Deep Throat"), is that they have
received quite a few inquiries about CLID - and that the greater
number of their calls have been to ask about when-can-I-order-it?  One
order clerk (with whom I spoke at relatively great length) did admit
that she had received a call from a somewhat upset "older gentleman"
--MORE--(76%)
 
along the lines of 'if Southern Bell follows through on offering CLID,
I'm going to have my phone disconnected!'
 
I'll keep the list posted, as I find out more.
 
 
Bill Berbenich    Georgia Tech, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{backbones}!gatech!eedsp!bill   Internet: bill@eedsp.gatech.edu
 
 
[Moderator's Note: The service rep talking to the 'older gentleman'
should have called his bluff on the spot:  If I'd been responding to
him I'd have probably said "Oh, my! Well, Mr. Jones, we'll certainly
be sorry to lose you as a good subscriber after X years. It has been
approved and will be available around February 14. Do you want me to
process the disconnect order on your service for the same day or would
you want me to have the service turned off sooner?"  (pause, let him
take it from there ...)   PAT]

Is this person biased, or what?  Would you want the moderators of all
of the conferences that handle controversial topics popping off like
this, making those who hold opposing points of view feel foolish?
As a moderator, I'm offended.  As someone with a regard for privacy
interests, I'm alarmed, because this newsgroup, comp.dcom.telecom,
wields a lot of informational power.  But what to do about this?

Bob Jacobson