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From: eli@ima.isc.com (Elias Israel)
Newsgroups: alt.privacy,comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Caller ID problems
Keywords: Caller ID
Message-ID: <1991Mar29.220816.8305@ima.isc.com>
Date: 29 Mar 91 22:08:16 GMT
References: <13801@asylum.SF.CA.US> <1991Mar29.154847.16915@engin.umich.edu> <1991Mar29.195940.12006@eng.umd.edu>
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Reply-To: eli@ima.isc.com (Elias Israel)
Organization: Interactive Systems, Cambridge, MA 02138-5302
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In article <1991Mar29.195940.12006@eng.umd.edu> ziegast@eng.umd.edu (Eric W. Ziegast) writes:
>6. The Caller ID compatable answering machine
>
>   I haven't seen anything like this yet, but in this day and age, it's
>   very feasable.  Think about it - an answering machine that works
>   differently depending on who is calling.  For a set of numbers, you
>   can select what can be done...
>   [...]
>   While this answering machine has its advantages it certainly abuses
>   the intent of Caller ID.  I claim no patent to such a machine, so if
>   you're a enterprising mold-sucking cockroach, feel free to build one.

I'm not so sure that this is a bad idea. I have a friend who recently
went through a divorce. Ever since I've known her (we met shortly after
the divorce proceedings began) she's screened her calls manually by
letting the answering machine pick up and waiting to hear who was on
the line.

The phone system that you describe would allow her to pick up the phone
without fear that the caller would harrass her, for example.

What about a phone that had a special ring for numbers not in its
database? That'd give you a good idea that the caller wants to sell you
something. What about an automatic rejection message for people you know
to be abusive? How about a special alarm kind of ring when the call is
from work?

It seems to me that having such a phone would greatly reduce the amount
of annoyance associated with phone calls because it would allow us to
finally guage our reaction to the phone according to some set of
predetermined priorities. Of all of the things that caller ID makes
possible, I think this is one of the best.

Elias Israel		   | "Justice, n. A commodity which in more or
Interactive Systems Corp.  | less adulterated condition the State sells
Boston, MA		   | to the citizen as a reward for his allegiance,
eli@ima.isc.com  	   | taxes, and personal service."
eli@village.boston.ma.us   |     -- Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_