Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!killer!vector!telecom-gateway From: Makey@LOGICON.ARPA (Jeff Makey) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Calling Party ID Message-ID: Date: 16 Mar 89 06:11:50 GMT Sender: news@vector.UUCP Lines: 24 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 4 of 6 In TELECOM Digest Vol. 9 No. 86, Patrick Townson writes: >Where people get the idea >they should be able to hide behind their phone is beyond me. Since the invention of the telephone more than 100 years ago, callers have always been anonymous unless they choose to identify themselves. This is quite a precedent to be overcome. As others have already pointed out here in the TELECOM Digest, there are legitimate reasons for a caller to be anonymous. It amazes me that calling party ID technology has been developed without two complementary options: (1) the option for the caller to make anonymous calls; and (2) the option to have an individual telephone line automatically refuse (without even ringing) incoming anonymous calls. These two options (which one should be able to toggle on a per-call basis) give the best of both worlds, allowing both the caller and callee to protect their privacy as they see fit. :: Jeff Makey Makey@LOGICON.ARPA