This file made for and only for
The Mines of Moria, you may not put
ANY of this information on any other
board without asking me first!!!
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THE TERMS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE WORDS THAT MAKE UP A CURIOUS LINGO KNOWN AS "T
ELEPHONESE." THE NEXT TIME YOU DISCUSS YOUR TELEPHONE PROBLEMS WITH A PHONE COM
PANY PERSON, YOU WILL AT LEAST KNOW WHAT HE OR SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT IF NOT WHAT
HE OR SHE MEANT.
A & A BUREAU:ABUSE AND ANNOYANCE BUREAU
THE PERSONNEL IN THIS LINE OF WORK SPEND THEIR TIME HELPING CUSTOMERS GET RID
OR NUTS, OBSCENE CALLERS, HARASSING COLLECTORS, ETC. SHOULD YOU RECEIVE "BOTHE
RING" PHONE CALLS, GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE PEOPLE.
BLUE BOX:A DEVICE THAT ENABLES THE USER
TO PLACE LONG DISTANCE CALLS WITHOUT BEING DETECTED--SOMETIMES. THESE DEVICES
ARE ILLEGAL, BUT USED EXTENSIVELY NEVERTHELESS.
B.O.S.:BUSINESS OFFICE SUPERVISOR. SHE'
S THE BOSS TO ALL THOSE DISGUSTINGLY PERKY SERVICE REPS. IF YOU CANNOT GET THE
MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE SERVICE REP, TAKE IT UP WITH THE B.O.S.
B.S.I.:BUSINESS SERVICES INSTRUCTOR. A
TRAFFIC EMPLOYEE WHO WILL COME OUT AND TEACH YOU HOW TO USE YOUR PHONE SYSTEM.
AN INVALUABLE PERSON TO HAVE STOP BY AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
B-STATEMENT:THE SECTION OF YOUR TELE- P
HONE BILL THAT LISTS ALL LONG DISTANCE CALLS BILLED TO YOUR NUMBER.
CENTRAL OFFICE:A TELEPHONE BUILDING HOU
SING THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO KEEP AN EXCHANGE OPERATING.(IN THIS SENSE, AN EXCH
ANGE IS ANY THREE DIGIT PREFIX AREA.) A CENTRAL OFFICE MAY HANDLE MORE THAN ONE
EXCHANGE.
CENTREX: A SOPHISTICATED TELEPHONE COMM
UNICATIONS SYSTEM ENABLING THE CUSTOMER TO RECEIVE AND MAKE CALLS WITHOUT GOING
THROUGH A CENTRAL ANSWERING POINT.
COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT:A PERSON WHO
SELLS TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT AND ADVISES YOU ABOUT IT, OR WHO ANALYZES IT. THE TER
M HAS GAINED NEW POPULARITY WITHIN THE TELEPHONE BUT THE INDEPENDENT OPERATOR US
E IT MORE OFTEN (SEE MARKETING REP).
COMMERCIAL:A DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE COMP
ANY. SERVICE REPS AND, IN SOME COMPANIES, SALES, ARE IN COMMERCIAL. IT IS RESPO
NSIBLE FOR KEEPING UP-TO-DATE RECORDS ON YOUR PHONE EQUIPMENT AND BILLING, SO TH
AT IF A PROBLEM ARISES THEY CAN HANDLE IT OR AT LEAST GET THE BALL ROLLING.
CONNDUCTOR:A DEVICE TO KEEP TELEPHONE R
ECORDED MESSAGE MACHINES FROM VAPORIZING CENTRAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT. SIMILAR TO A
COUPLER, IT IS REALLY NOTHING MORE THAN A GLORIFIED CIRCUIT BREAKER.
COUPLER:A DEVICE USED TO PREVENT ELECTR
ICAL FLASHBACK AND MAINTAIN NORMAL ELECTRICAL FLOW ON A TELEPHONE LINE. USED AS
A BUFFER BETWEEN C.O.A.M.E. AND TELEPHONE COMPANY EQUIPMENT.
C.O.A.M.E.:CUSTOMER OWNED AND MAINTAINE
D EQUIPMENT.
C.W.A.:THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS OF AME
RICA. ONE OF THE LARGER UNIONS IN THE BOUNDRY, THE C.W.A. REPRESENTS 90 PERCENT
OF THE UNIONIZED TELCO WORK FORCE.
D.D.D.:DIRECT DISTANCE DIALING. THE LOW
EST LONG DISTANCE RATES AVAILABLE FOR THE THE MASS OF HUMANITY. ALSO KNOWN AS O
NE-PLUS DIALING.
DECORATOR PHONES:A GENERIC TERM USED TO
DESCRIBE THE PSEUDO-ANTIQUE PHONES ON THE MARKET--EITHER TELCO--MADE OR OTHERW
ISE.
E.S.S.:ELECTRONIC SWITCHING SYSTEMS. CO
MPUTERIZED CENTRAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT. SUPPOSEDLY THE PANACEA TO ALL TELEPHONE LI
NES AND THE BACKBONE OF THOSE FUTURE SERVICES WE WON'T ENJOY FOR YEARS TO COME.
EXCHANGE:ALL NUMBERS WITHIN A GIVEN THR
EE--DIGIT PREFIX AREA. CAN ALSO BE USED
TO DESCRIBE A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THE SIZE OF A CITY.
F.C.C.:THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMI
SION.
FLAT RATE:A SINGLE MONTHLY CHARGE FOR S
ERVICE.
FUZZ BOX:A DEVICE THAT, BY DUPLICATING
THE TONES OF COINS DROPPING DOWN THE PHONE CHUTE, MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO PLACE CA
LLS FROM PAY PHONES WITHOUT USING MONEY.
F.X.:FOREIGN EXCHANGE SERVICE. A LONG D
ISNANCE SERVICE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE OF RECEIVE CALLS IN A GIVEN AREA FOR A
FLAT MONTHLY RATE. ONLY FOR THOSE WHO MAKE OF RECEIVE MANY CALLS IN A RELATIVELY
SMALL AREA.
H.C. INSTRUMENT:AN ORDINARY TELEPHONE WITH NO EXTRAS.
I.D.E.W.:INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF E
LECTRICAL WORKERS. A UNION THAT REPRESENTS SEVEN PERCENT OF ALL UNIONIZED TELEP
HONE WORKERS.
INDEPENDINT:A TELEPHONE COMPANY NOT ASO
CIATED WITH THE BELL SYSTEM.
I.C.:INSTALLATION CHARGE.
INSTALLATION INTERVAL:THE LENGTH OF TIM
E BETWEEN THE DATE THE SERVICE IS ORDERED AND THE DATE THE SERVICE IS INSTALLED
