Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Caller ID
Keywords: Caller ID
Message-ID: <1991Mar30.073440.5817@looking.on.ca>
Date: 30 Mar 91 07:34:40 GMT
References: <1991Mar29.201944.12136@eng.umd.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Looking Glass Software Ltd.
Lines: 53

I think that people do have a right to know who's calling them, that
people have the right to place anonymous calls, and that people have
the right to refuse anonymous calls to the extent that they don't even
ring.

As such, the tarriff should work this way:

a) Caller-ID is the default, accept any call is the default.
	Optionally, caller-ID is the default to residence phones,
	anonymous is the default to business phones.

b) Any caller may make a call different from the default, for no extra
	charge, through a simple prefix on the phone number.

c) The phone company should, for no extra charge, allow any customer
	to request the blocking of anonymous calls.   Anonymous emergency
	calls could still be placed through the operator.  Any other
	services can be extra charge.

d) The caller-ID packet should include some extra info, such as the type of
	phone (residence, business, payphone, cellular) and the suffix
	digits.  (I feel that the way the phone company is running out of
	area codes, it will soon have to introduce suffix digits on phone
	numbers to identify everything from faxes, cellular, ident-a-call,
	and extensions in a PBX.  One 7 digit telno per customer, that's
	it.)


I think such a system addresses almost all concerns, except the concern of
the unlisted subscriber who doesn't want to give the phone number out.
There are two responses to this.  One is simply, "tough -- you want to
call somebody who blocks anonymous calls, they deserve to know who you are."

The other, more complex, would be to allow unlisted subscribers -- or any
subscriber -- to have the ANI packet give a code number which is not their
phone number, but something which maps to it via a mapping stored and
kept confidential by the telco.   Thus you could still identify who the
caller is if the call multiple times, and the police would be able to
find out the identity of the caller.

Indeed, this system could work for all anonymous calls, not just for those
of unlisted subscribers.


I think in such a world that most people would tend to call residences
with ANI active, as most residences would block anonymous calls.   Most
businesses would gladly accept anonymous calls -- it would be rude not to,
and who wants to turn down business.   Other businesses, however, such
as pizza places and mail-order order-desks, which are going to take down
your phone number anyway, would not accept anonymous calls and nobody would
be bothered by this.
-- 
Brad Templeton, ClariNet Communications Corp. -- Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473