Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!pacbell.com!lll-winken!telecom-request From: sichermn@beach.csulb.edu (Jeff Sicherman) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: My First Month of Caller ID in Atlanta Message-ID: Date: 21 Mar 91 19:45:28 GMT Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Organization: Cal State Long Beach Lines: 30 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 225, Message 4 of 12 In article Robert Jacobson writes: > The "alleged horrors" which Bill Berbenich has not yet experienced as > a result of one month of Caller ID have to do with duration and > penetration. The telcos commonly pass off one month tests of small > service populations as scientific surveys and are always relieved for > their customers when alleged horrors do not occur. The point is to > wait a couple years when a few tens of millions of more people are > forced into Caller ID and the files have started being built up. Then > let's see if the horrors happen, Bill. > [Moderator's Note: What about in places like New Jersey, where > Caller*ID has been a reality now for about a year? Maybe one or more > of the 'veterans' of Caller*ID will write on the topic of abuses -- if > there are any -- now that this new technology has had a chance to get > established. PAT] Well, that might not be enough either. There may have to be a critical mass of users for some effects to manifest themselves. The uses and abuses of the service might not occur until there are enough of the devices around to be statisitically significant and this might depend upon a price that won't happen until the market is large enough on a national basis. Also, some of the commercial applications might be delayed by the fact that many potential users are parts of national chains that might hold off until the service is more uniformly available. They also might be sensitive to offending their customers over such privacy concerns for what would be a minor marketing advantage. They are _very_ PR sensitive.