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From: dee@cca.CCA.COM (Donald Eastlake)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Sales computer clamp-down
Message-ID: <19047@cca.CCA.COM>
Date: Mon, 17-Aug-87 15:11:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: cca.19047
Posted: Mon Aug 17 15:11:40 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Aug-87 05:35:08 EDT
References: <831@wrcola.UUCP>
Reply-To: dee@CCA.CCA.COM.UUCP (Donald Eastlake)
Distribution: na
Organization: Computer Corp. of America, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 39
Keywords: furious
Xref: mnetor comp.misc:1041 misc.legal:2467

In article <831@wrcola.UUCP> kathy@wrcola.UUCP (K.M.Vincent) writes:
>This may or may not be the proper place for this posting, but ...
>
>This morning, I answered my phone to find a computer at the
>other end.  ...
>...
>button down several seconds - long enough to disconnect any
>call - except that one.  The pitch went on and on and on -
>...
>I immediately called the operator and talked to the supervisor
>on duty.  Turns out they've had several complaints.  The calling
>computer can, in fact, call and HOLD ON TO MY LINE AS LONG
>AS IT WANTS.  There is no way for me to disconnect it - even
>tho it is MY line that *I* am paying for and I don't want to
>listen to the recording. Which means someone with a really
>long sales pitch could, presumably, call and tie up my phone
>all day, and there's nothing I could do from my end to stop it.

This sounds like nonsense.  The disconnection of a call from your line
is controlled by your local telephone exchange.  Many have delays of
around 30 to 45 second built in so that you can hang up a phone and go
to a different phone in your house and pick it up without losing an
incoming call.  The timing may be different on a call you originate
since I thinkthe default is "calling party control" except for this time
out to avoid problems such as you describe.  In any case, there is no
reason in the telephone system hardware for a computer calling you
should be treated any differently from a person.

Even if the hardware is not doing what you want, there is usually a law
against harassing phone calls (which certainly any day long unsolicited
call would be) and if that fails you could try a civil action.  Finally,
you might write to your elected representatives and try having the law
changed to prohibit such practices.  This would certainly take a while
however.

-- 
	+1 617-492-8860		Donald E. Eastlake, III
	ARPA: dee@CCA.CCA.COM	usenet:	{cbosg,decvax,linus}!cca!dee
	P. O. Box N, MIT Branch P. O., Cambridge, MA 02139-0903 USA