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Path: utzoo!utgpu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!dog.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!crash!jott
From: jott@crash.cts.com (Joan Tine)
Newsgroups: alt.privacy,comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Telephone Caller ID's
Summary: gnash
Message-ID: <8338@crash.cts.com>
Date: 2 Apr 91 05:13:42 GMT
References: <1991Mar29.154847.16915@engin.umich.edu> <1991Apr1.181048.21377@odin.corp.sgi.com> <1991Apr1.201553.6064@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Followup-To: alt.privacy
Organization: Crash TimeSharing, El Cajon, CA
Lines: 22

In article <1991Apr1.201553.6064@watdragon.waterloo.edu> gcreesor@tiger.uwaterloo.ca (Glen Reesor) writes:
>> Neither does caller ID. After all, since when was a phone number
>> identification????????
>
>It becomes identification when paired with a reversed telephone book.
>These books are listed by *number*, so the number becomes an index to
>your identity.  I'm not sure of the restrictions on obtaining these, but
>I browsed one when I was employed by a major insurance company.
They are obtained by subscription.  I used them years ago when I worked
in credit.  Another option is the 911 database.  This is a comprehensive
database service provided by the phone company to the police department.
If you call 911, the number and address you are calling from is displayed 
to the person taking your call.  It's just a matter of authorization or
technical know-how to get it.
The average computer operator on night shift in one of these places is 
paid about twice minimum wage.  A tape containing one of these databases
is worth inestimable thousands of dollars.  Some of the senior operators
know enough job control language to copy that database, or part of it,
onto a tape and sneak the tape out.


But it would be wrong.