Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucbvax!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL
From: SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Demon-dialers
Message-ID: <8812290140.aa06195@SMOKE.BRL.MIL>
Date: 29 Dec 88 06:30:35 GMT
References: <tramp!hassell@BOULDER.COLORADO.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 25

>Actually REALLY I have heard a few of these myself and they seem to last just
>long enough to have heard a carrier or not.  I personally am convinced they
>are being used already, regardless of their 'moral status'.  Any comments?

1) it's not uncommon for someone to realize they have dialed incorrectly
   just about the time the phone on the other end rings (in fact with
   some electronic systems the "ring tone" the caller hears isn't
   synchronized with the actual bell so the phone actually rings before
   the caller perceives that it has).  That phenomenon leads to any number
   of "no one's there" calls that are NOT deamon dialers run wild.

2) Just because someone (any number of people) is engaged in dubious
   (even simply annoying) behavior, in no way justifies joining in
   (the old adage about two wrongs not making a right applies).

                                     [The Far Side shall return (I hope)]
Murph Sewall     Sewall@UCONNVM.BITNET
Business School  sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu          [INTERNET]
U of Connecticut {rutgers psuvax1 ucbvax & in Europe - mcvax}
                 !UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL                        [UUCP]

-+- My employer isn't responsible for my mistakes AND vice-versa!
            (subject to change without notice; void where prohibited)

"Close enough for government work" - source unknown (naturally ;-)