Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: aurs01!luce@uunet.uu.net (J. Luce) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Many Software Designers of Caller ID Also Disliked it Message-ID: <16715@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 5 Feb 91 17:55:55 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: "J. Luce" Organization: Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh NC Lines: 35 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 95, Message 9 of 9 Up to a year ago, I was an employee of BNR, Inc. (Bell Northern Research), the R&D arm of Northern Telecom, the perpetrator of this horrid thing called Caller ID. It should be noted that MANY MANY software designers who worked on this were against it's concept without the capability to block it by the CALLER. The software to do so is actually trivial but in the true sense of software companies we told our customers it was not. Anyway, we had great outpouring of disdain for this feature on the company mainframe 'Gossip' area. I give great attaboys to BNR that no action was taken via censorship or reprimands by the BNR management. In fact, several of these articles were forwarded to the PUC for insertion to the documents against No. Carolina allowing SoBell to sell Caller ID. I believe NC did not allow it at that time, but will allow SoBell to bring it up again. (BTW, I have nothing but respect for BNR, it is in general one of the best places to work, bar none). We already had a feature in place to allow crank caller numbers to be printed at the CO by pressing *XX (depends on BOC usage). Therefore, no need for CID. I feel that this is one large marketing scam only for the RBOCs and feel that if I pay for a non-published listing, that CID should be inactivated. Believe me, the software hooks are there. John Luce Alcatel Network Systems Raleigh, NC Standard Disclaimer Applies 919-850-6787 Mail? Here? Try aurs01!aurw46!luce@mcnc.org or ... !mcnc!aurgate!luce - or - John.Luce@f130.n151.z1.fidonet.org [Moderator's Note: A copy of Mr. Luce's article is being posted to the Telecom Privacy mailing list (telecom-priv@pica.army.mil) so that continued discussion may take place between interested parties in that forum. If you wish to subscribe: telecom-priv-request@pica.army.mil. PAT]