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From: g-inners@gumby.UUCP (Michael Inners)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: New Service in BetaTest at NJ Bell
Message-ID: <1073@gumby.wisc.edu>
Date: Fri, 9-Oct-87 00:47:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: gumby.1073
Posted: Fri Oct  9 00:47:27 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Oct-87 11:27:49 EDT
References: <1692@aramis.rutgers.edu> <2149@ihuxv.ATT.COM> <2075@Shasta.STANFORD.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: gumby!g-inners@RUTGERS.EDU (Michael Inners)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 28
Approved: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu
Summary: I hope it doesn't catch on


After some thought, I've decided that this 'ID the calling location' service
bothers me.  Rather than get into a philosphical discussion, I think
a few simple examples illustrate the reasons:

1) I am involved in a number of non-profit organizations as a financial
   officer.  I occasionally have reason to call the IRS information numbers
   to ask questions about practices (generally inherited from previous
   officers) that I have doubts about.  I *DO NOT* want to identify myself
   and bring on their dogs - only fix our practices and comply in the future.

2) I remotely retrieve my answering machine messages from time to time.  When
   returning calls, I sometimes do not want to reveal my actual location.
   Why?  Perhaps personal, perhaps I'm moonlighting, perhaps it is just none
   of anyone else's business!

Since the service probably can't be eliminated, I would propose that there
be a required warning signal that alerts me that my location is about to
be disclosed the the party on the other end.  I can then choose to hang
up before the phone starts ringing.  This warning should be free and
issued at all times, not just when I call from my home number.

There is precedent for such a rule in that devices designed to record phone
conversations are required to emit a 'beep' tone to alert the other party.
Since the ID service is offered by large centralized organiations (TelCos)
such a rule would be far more readily enforceable than for recording devices.

				-- Michael Inners