Received: by bu-cs.BU.EDU (5.58/4.7) id AA00418; Tue, 17 Jan 89 03:06:38 EST Message-Id: <8901170806.AA00418@bu-cs.BU.EDU> Date: Tue, 17 Jan 89 2:29:45 EST From: The Moderator Reply-To: TELECOM@bu-cs.BU.EDU Subject: TELECOM Digest V9 #17 To: TELECOM@bu-cs.bu.edu TELECOM Digest Tue, 17 Jan 89 2:29:45 EST Volume 9 : Issue 17 Today's Topics: Finding Phone Numbers Re: AT&T alleges dumping Demise of Auto Number Announcement (ANA) A Tiny Tim Re: AT&T alleges dumping Re: Excuses instead of info Telecommunications And The Emotionally Disturbed [Moderator's Note: This is *part two* of the Digest for Tuesday 1-17. We had a clogged up mailque over the weekend which forced suspension of transmission early Monday morning. We got a backlog of mail as a result. By Wednesday's Digest I hope we are back to normal with incoming mail. You should have received issue 16 just a few minutes ago. Furthermore, you received one -- or two $%%%$#-up copies of 17 just now, thanks to stilll another evil, dastardly control character stuck in the file which aborted it after 85 lines or so. This, then folks, is the real issue 17. Honestly. This is NOT my day! P. Townson] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 16 Jan 89 09:26 EST From: GREEN Subject: Finding Telephone Numbers To: TELECOM@bu-cs.bu.edu When I dial the WUTCO "area code" 410 followed by any 7 digits, the synthesized voice returns the number I'm calling from. How widespread is this phenomenon? -Scott Green ------------------------------ To: comp-dcom-telecom@ames.arc.nasa.gov From: wetter@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu (Pierce T. Wetter) Subject: Re: AT&T alleges dumping Date: 12 Jan 89 21:25:17 GMT > Now the anecdote: As an American living in Korea, I can buy a Korean-made > Leading Edge Computer more cheaply by mail order from New Jersey, including > shipping, than I can get it here. It's a strange world. > > Moral: ? This is true in Japan as well. If you buy a stereo in japan you are almost forced to buy it from a small shop. (Not much inventory & High overhead per item). He buys it from the Sony distributor, who buys it from someone else etc. until you finally reach sony. Because of this long chain, markups from wholesale are much higher than in the US for an equivalent item. I suspect that if American companies weren't prohibited from doing so, a lot of companies like Sears, Federated, the Warehouse could make an awful lot of money by opening American style distribution networks in Japan. Additionally, the terrible Japanese distribution system makes it more difficult for American companies to compete in Japan. (for various reasons I won't go into.) The Japanese economy is very bizarre. (Stocks sell for up to 1000 times earnings, Vs. the US 20 times earnings). My opinion of the Japanese culture is that its some sort of bizarre capatilist fuedalism. (But this is only my opinion). Dumping notwithstanding, if Japan does not do more to open its borders, or if the dollar does not fall lower, Japan may be in for a rude shock when the US and Europe finally get annoyed enough at Japan to do something about it, in which case the US will probably overreact. Japan doesn't understand that if they want us to buy their stereos, they have to buy our rice. The US is getting to the point that they will soon be willing to stop all trade with Japan, and damn the consequences. Pierce You can flame or laud me at: wetter@tybalt.caltech.edu or wetter@csvax.caltech.edu or pwetter@caltech.bitnet (There would be a witty saying here, but my signature has to be < 4lines) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 89 13:19:29 PST From: ll-xn!ucsd!pnet01.cts.com!mtbill (Mountain Bill) To: telecom-request@bu-it.bu.edu Subject: Demise of Auto Number Announcement (ANA) In San Diego county Pac*Bell has removed the popular ANA test number from many ESS central offices (410-222-2222). I heard a rumor (from a Pac*Bell installer; can't be true! 8-) ) that the company disabled this test number after a harrassment suit was heard in a local court, naming Pac*Bell as a co-defendant because it allowed the harrassing party a means by which to learn the victim's new unpublished number after each number change. Sheesh. Does anyone know the true story, or better yet, the new ANA test number? I find it hard to believe that Pac*Bell can justify sitting a person at the testboard all day long to provide this function... UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, nosc}!crash!pnet01!mtbill ARPA: crash!pnet01!mtbill@sdcsvax.arpa INET: mtbill@pnet01.CTS.COM ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Jan 1989 14:43 MST From: Keith Petersen To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu Subject: A Tiny Tim Amateur Radio has opened up a whole new world for disabled persons, allowing them to communicate with others by radio. It can offer hours of entertainment and participation to such people. In that light, I offer the information enclosed below. --Keith Petersen W8SDZ (my amateur radio callsign). ---forwarded message--- Date: Saturday, 15 February 1986 19:18-MST From: kroth%regina.DEC (Philip J. Kroth) Re: Address for Handi-Hams A guy at work asked me for the address of Handi-Hams. After thinking about it I thought that there might be other people out there who might want it too: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the address of Handi-Hams. Handi-Hams is an organization of handicapped and non-handicapped people who help other handicapped people get licensed and on the air. If you know of a handicapped person, licensed or unlicensed, who would like assistance or if you would like to help, contact Keith Graham who is the director: Keith Graham Handi-Ham Systems Courage Center 3915 Golden Valley Road Golden Valley, MN 55422 The preceding information was given to me by Gayle WA1OPN from Worcester, MA. Gayle is a blind and deaf Amateur also suffering from MS. She is limited to CW operation only but is in the process of getting the necessary equipment which will allow her to operate packet. As anyone who knows Gayle will agree, she is an inspiration in the truest sense of the word. Despite her three handicaps, she earned an extra class license, teaches radio theory to people around the world, holds two part time jobs and writes articles about computers and the handicapped which have been published in several languages. She has received many awards including a commendation from President Reagan. Philip Kroth KA2QIK/1 ------------------------------ Date: Fri Jan 13 21:23:32 1989 To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu Subject: Re: AT&T alleges dumping From: zygot!john@apple.com (John Higdon) On Jan 11 at 20:30, Harvey Cohen writes: > Translation: "The US manufacturing community has no right to complain > about unfair trade practices, because the US manufacturing community > is not virtuous." If US manufacturing community wants to complain about what they perceive to be unfair trade practices, let them do so. If they want to improve their position in the world marketplace, then let them put their own house in order. > Translation: "US makers have no right to complain if foreign companies > sell below cost in US markets, because US products are inferior." Whether or not foreign companies sell below cost in US markets is moot if the public will not touch the inferior wares spewing forth from US manufacturers. > Higdon's logic is so grossly, mind-bogglingly out of joint that it > is impossible to construct a reasoned rebuttal. Judging from the "translations" offered by Mr. Cohen, he has completely missed the point. It used to be that the finest telephone equipment in the world was manufactured in the United States, period. Matters of dumping and unfair trade practices were not an issue. If you wanted the best, you bought American. Furthermore, if you offer inovation that no one else can match, how can unfair trade practices harm you? It's when you sit back and rest on your laurels (as AT&T seems to be doing, among others) you leave yourself wide open for trouble. It is my understanding the the "dumped" systems are of poor quality anyway. If this is causing AT&T trouble, then things are worse off for them than I orignally thought. > Harvey S. Cohen, AT&T Bell Labs, Lincroft, NJ, mtund!hsc, (201)576-3302 Mr. Cohen's attitude is understandable considering his affiliation. -- John Higdon john@zygot ..sun!{apple|cohesive|pacbell}!zygot!john ------------------------------ To: comdesign!bu-cs.bu.edu!telecom@apple.com From: comdesign!ivucsb!dan@apple.com (Dan Howell) Subject: Re: Excuses instead of info Date: 15 Jan 89 07:23:55 GMT In article hp-sdd!rog@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Roger Haaheim) writes: |Back in the good old days...one could dial a special number, |hang up, and the dialing phone would ring; some kind of |echo. It was used by phonefolks who came to fix the phone, |to check to see if it was working. They had no problem |telling the customer what that number was so the customer |could dial back to him/herself. Why has that capability |become proprietary? I know it's still done, but when I |ask...excuses, but no number. How come? On GTE phones in both Santa Barbara and in the Los Angeles area, it seems that dialing your own phone number will give you a clicking sound, then when you hang up gour phone rings, and when you answer you get the same clicking sound. Also, dialing 114 will tell you your phone number. On some Pacific Bell phones in the Los Angeles area, 1223 will give you a digitized voice telling you your phone number, followed by a menu giving you several options, one of which is ringback. This doesn't work on the phone I use in L.A., and works on my friend's phone. What's really strange is that we both are located in the same calling area, although we have different prefixes and live in different cities. I do know that my prefix is used in his city and his prefix is used in my city, but have not had an opportunity to try any these out. -- Dan Howell <...!pyramid!comdesign!ivucsb!dan> ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jan 89 13:02:26 -0900 To: Telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu From: JTJBM Subject: Telecommunications With The Emotionally Disturbed I am writing a paper on the use of telecommunications with the emotionally disturbed--using it as a socializing mechanism. Do you know any programs involved in this technique? Jan-Baptiste Maas, Juneau, AK University of Alaska, Southeast. ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest *********************