Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!killer!vector!telecom-gateway From: cosell@wilma.bbn.com (Bernie Cosell) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: ANI (what else?) and Mike Royko's comments Message-ID: Date: 16 Mar 89 15:09:59 GMT Sender: news@vector.UUCP Lines: 40 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 93, message 2 of 6 It is nice to see that our national columnist think through these things so clearly as they sit down to pour out their opinions: > Mike Royko, Chicago Tribune, Monday, March 13, 1989 > > > "For obvious reasons, my home phone number is unlisted. But a guy once > managed to find it and amuse himself by making drunken, abusive calls late > at night. After several nights of this, I had to change my number..." Right, Mike. And the first time you call the local theatre to find out what time the movie starts, your precious unlisted number ain't so hidden any more. In fact, the more I think about it, the less useful ANI becomes: either you NEVER answer your phone if it isn't a phone number you recognize (gee Mike, do you REALLY know the phone numbers of EVERY one of your colleagues at the Tribune? and if one has to call you from one of *their* friends houses are they really out of luck??), or else you DO. And if you're being harrassed, it takes a *real* dimwit to do that from their home phone (I agree that phone harrassment is a dimwit activity, but to presume that such a person would be careful to use their home phone seems REALLY naive, no?). It is astounding to hear people talk about not answering *any* call from an unrecognized number (and I hope that someday it isn't your sister with an emergency calling from a pay phone). So what good *is* ANI? Far as I can tell, about the only thing it is good for is to allow you to recognize the number as being one of your "always-speak-to"s, and so you answer it right away, whereas if it is from anyone else you screen it with your answering machine. Is that really it??? If so this is all quite remarkable: all of this technology and all of these privacy questions *just* so that you can receive calls from your friends without having your answering machine intercede. Sheesh... __ / ) Bernie Cosell /--< _ __ __ o _ BBN Sys & Tech, Cambridge, MA 02238 /___/_(<_/ (_/) )_(_(<_ cosell@bbn.com