From: gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert)
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Organization: Motorola, Mobile Data Division - Seattle, WA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 17:24:01 GMT

In article <1992Apr07.073035.17856@clarinet.com> brad@clarinet.com (Brad Templeton) writes:
>In article <1992Apr6.175738.29491@mdd.comm.mot.com> gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com (John Gilbert) writes:
>>Answering machine.... your best bet here...  [instead of caller id]
>
>No.  It's good, but it is not what I want.  Yes, an answering machine
>can screen my calls -- but at inconvenience to me (because I still have
>to stop what I'm doing to listen to the recording, and then the person,
>*if* they don't hang up) and at inconvenience to the nice callers, because
>they have to listen to the recording, then risk saying, "are you there" and
>leaving a stupid message if I'm not etc.
>
>The people who suggest that this is a suitable solution must not have the
>same desires from the telephone as I do.   That's fine, but what I suggest
>does not stop you from getting what you want from the phone.   Caller-id,
>implemented properly, helps me get what I want.

The what you want must simply be the incoming line number.  And then
you want to make a guess, or have a computer try.  Fine.

Most people, I think, want to know who is calling and why.  CLID can never
really do this for you reliably.  You can miss calls from people who
call from numbers you don't expect them to be at.  You can miss calls
you just never would anticipate, but might want.  This is what experience
shows happens in places where CLID is installed.

>I'm busy but I also like my peace.   I want to be available for emergencies
>all the time.  I want to be available to some people part of the time, at
>different times.   I don't want to be available to almost anybody when I
>am asleep or having fun :-).   There are some people I am never available to.  
>At different times I want to just have a message taken.

Why do you want CLID?  Why don't you ask for a system which uses personal
codes?  There are already devices today you can buy.  It requires an ID from
the caller, and then can switch to your answering machine, ring your phone, or
hang up.  Why is this any more disruptive to your piece of mind.

What does it take, with your scheme, to have a bank person who is checking on
something for you to call you back?  Do you have to tell your computer
to be ready and accept that call?  Do you have to remember the phone
number and check the CLID display (probably not, since I believe you
don't even get up to check the display, based on your comments about
what you want vs. an answering machine...).  Or would you rather just
tell the person to use code 595 when they call back, or else leave
a message.

>This is how I want to lead my private life.  When a call comes that is
>one I want, I want it now, at a minimum of inconvenience for me and the
>caller.

Beware.  CLID fails this one.  Just can't do it reliably.

>    When a call comes that I don't want, or that I want a message taken
>for, I don't want to even know that it's happening.

Beware, CLID fails that one too...

Unless you define "calls I want" as calls from a fixed set of numbers,
and "calls I don't want" as all other calls, then CLID can not do this,
by design.

>I want to be available when needed, but not ruled by the damn ringing phone
>otherwise.   The right tools can do this for me.   This is the protection
>of my own privacy.

The right tools...  CLID is a very poor choice, even for what you have
described.  But, I sympathize with you.  It is the ONLY choice the telcos
want to offer...

For most people, the answering machine could meet their needs... for others
who have more stringent requirements, a personal code system would do the
job.  Neither NEEDS CLID.  Both are available NOW.  For use ANYWHERE.

Tell you what, why not take a moment and describe HOW you will use CLID to
get what you want.  Be sure to include calls from people you did not
anticipate, and ones from people you know, but are not at a number you
would expect them to be at.  Let's say the call is somewhat urgent...

John


-- 
John Gilbert
gilbert@mdd.comm.mot.com
..!uunet!mdisea!gilbert
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.privacy