From: chelf@lunatix.uucp (Chad Helfenberger)
Subject: Re: Caller ID block?
Organization: Lexington Public Access Unix. -KY- (606) 255-9121
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 16:15:09 GMT

In article <BzHpzM.DJw@ns1.nodak.edu> csmith@plains.NoDak.edu (Carl Smith) writes:

>It's nice to see something like this on the net.  Most people wouldn't
>bother...  I suppose I might have a little too hot with my reply, but
>it is easy to flame over the net...

You weren't too hot, I was.. I shouldn't let stress seep into my postings.  
Sometimes you gotta set people like me in line :^)

>>either subscribe to, or start reading Risks Digest.  It's not in your best 
>>interest to give your number to any business, OR person you call.  
>
>I see you point here.  I was just pushing my views to the extreme to make
>my point.  But, I would probably let my number go to almost everyone I
>call.  The only common situation that I would probably block my ID is when
>I am calling businesses to ask about their products.  If they had my 
>number then they could call back to ask why I didn't buy their product.
>But, then again, after one call I would put them in the "KILL" list
>of numbers...  And, of course there will be an occasional odd situation
>where I might want to block id...

The only problem I see with the kill list idea is that most businesses have 
multiple phone lines, and I'm pretty sure (not certain) that the kill list 
will have a limited memory.

>>This is what I meant by a 'protocol'.  
>
>That's exactly the way I feel.  You have every right to block your ID.
>And I have every right to not answer blocked calls.  It is then up to
>you to decide if talking to me is important enough to not block or to
>use a payphone.  What I don't like are people who think I OWE it to 
>them to answer their calls, blocked or not...

You say you feel exactly the same way on this particular topic.  How would 
you feel when people call you from a payphone?  I _assume_ (correct if 
wrong) that you would place these on the kill list (as they are placed).

>>them?  Weighing the two sides of Caller ID, I'd say that the preservation of 
>>privacy ranks much higher than a few seconds saved by not answering the 
>>phone.
>
>when I am trying to get a good nights sleep, all calls not in my
>"important" list go to the answering machine.  Blocked ID calls would
>go to the answering machine any time of day.  The only thing I would
>worry about is emergency calls at night from phones not in the 
>"important" list.

That's what I mean.  I don't think the extra convenience gained by using a 
CNID unit merits *easily* missing important calls.  

>Well, my last message was rather long, so I didn't talk about how I was
>going to build the smart call screener.  During the day I would leave
>the volume on my answering machine high, and have the ID system let the
>first ring through to the phone.  When I hear the ring I could listen 
>to the answering machine and if it was an emergency call I could pick it
>up.  At night the ID system wouldn't let the phone ring, if it did then
>there would be no point, as all calls would bother me at night anyway.i
>In that case I wouldn't get the emergency call untill I listened to the
>answering machine messages.  That is the only problem I have thought of 
>yet, and I don't know what the solution would be.  Perhaps a message to 
>press a certain touch tone if the call is a REAL EMERGENCY.  The phone
>would then ring as many times as the caller wants.  But then I would 
>have to put up with salesman who think selling me their product qualified 
>as an emergency...  So, it's not perfect, what what is?

In my _opinion_, I'd rather have to put up with a few seconds of marketers 
and pressuring salesmen than miss ANY important call, whether it be a friend 
calling from a payphone whose car broke down, or any number of other things.  
It's just not worth it.

>I agree that simply putting an ID display on the line and not answering
>numbers that you don't know could cause you to miss quite a few
>important calls.
>
>But, as a whole, I think the advantages of caller id FAR OUTWEIGH, the
>few disadvantages.

This is where we disagree, I think.

-- 
Chad Helfenberger
(chelf@lunatix.uucp) 
Xref: sparky alt.cyberpunk:6785 sci.electronics:21244