Aucbvax.2881
fa.telecom
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!telecom
Mon Aug 31 23:49:40 1981
TELECOM Digest V1 #6
>From JSol@RUTGERS Mon Aug 31 23:43:40 1981
TELECOM AM Digest       Tuesday, 1 Sept 1981       Volume 1 : Issue 6

Today's Topics:
          Operator Routings - Calling Really Remote Locations
               Paying Your Bills By Phone - A Demo
               Speech Synthesizers Vs. Noisemakers
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Date: 1 Sep 1981 0147-EDT
From: The Moderator <JSOL AT RUTGERS>
Subject: Administrivia

Due to some hardware problems at Rutgers, there was no digest
yesterday or Sunday.  This is issue #6, following Saturday's digest.

Enjoy,
JSol

------------------------------

Date: 29 Aug 1981 0221-EDT
From: Hobbit <AWALKER AT RUTGERS>
Subject: Operator routings

In answer to Hamilton.ES :

When I was in that racket, when somebody had the oprs routing for a
place, you would give em a *big* Thank You! and proceed to dial that
up.  It was when they *didn't* have the right routing that you had to
go through the Rate&Route people [which could be ultimately wedged at
times] and *then* sift through levels of this and that. Sometimes it
was best just to call the general inward operator there, since they
knew their own state [or country] and had probably dealt with little
diddlysquat towns before. A real blast.....

Anybody want a job?

_H*

------------------------------

Date: 29 Aug 1981 0933-PDT
From: Bob Knight <ADMIN.KNIGHT AT SU-SCORE>
Subject: Bill paying by telephone - a demo.

    First Interstate Bank out here has introduced a service of bill
paying by telephone.  A demo is available, to wit (gotta have a
touch-tone):

       1)  Dial (800) 252-2100
       2)  CUSTOMER NUMBER:  push 123456789#.
       3)  SECURITY CODE:  push 1234#.
       4)  PAYEE NUMBER:  push 12#.
       5)  AMOUNT:  Anything followed by # (3250#==$32.50,
           of course).
       6)  You'll be asked for # or month and day.  Terminate
           month/day with # (form mmdd#).  Default if no month/day
           entered is day you're making transaction.
       7)  You can go back to 4 or stop by pushing *2#.

    The capitalized stuff above is what the computer will be asking
you.  They have a voice synthesizer of some kind handling the
questions.

    The charge for this service is $1.00 per month, plus $.10 per
transaction.  In addition to paying your bills, you can transfer money
between accounts.  I'm tempted to transfer my account to these guys,
but have some reservations about the system.  Anyone have more
information on it?

Bob

------------------------------

Date: 29 Aug 1981 11:05:20-PDT
From: telecom-link at Berkeley
In-real-life: Steven M. Bellovin, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Subject: speech synthesizers vs. noisemakers

I don't think the language issue is really a problem.  First of all,
the phone company has never shown any particular interest in anyone
who doesn't speak English.  Except in a few large cities, there are
never any dialing instructions in other languages.  And I doubt that
one could easily connect to an operator who knew any other language in
most areas of this country.  Besides, it's probably against phone
company policy for operators to do something as helpful that.  I had a
friend who worked as an overseas operator for AT&T Long Lines one
summer, and she was reprimanded for speaking French once to help
complete a connection.  Seems that the supervisor -- who would
regularly listen in on calls -- couldn't tell whether she was working
or goofing off....  But I digress.  I doubt that foreign visitors
would understand the different tone sequences; as has been noted, many
Americans don't, and we're (a) used to our phone system; and (b) able
to read the English-language instructions.  When I was in London a few
years ago, the phones at Heathrow Airport said to call the operator
and ask her to demonstrate the different tones used.  I tried several
times, and never found an operator who even knew what I was talking
about.

------------------------------

End of TELECOM Digest
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