28 Mar 06 19:48, Janis Kracht wrote to Roy Witt:

 JK> Hi Roy,

 >>>>>> didn't someone (you?) mention a sysop in Z1 who
got a $500US phone
 >>>>>> bill because they had listed an invalid
555-go-nowhere number that
 >>>>>> their system was dialing and that number they
listed was now used
 >>>>>> by their telco as an information number that
incurred charges??

 >>>>> Janis did. It was the perfect proof for Malcolm's case at the
 >>>>> right moment.

 >>>> it wasn't proof for anyone's case... all it was was proof that
 >>>> things happen i one isn't watching their stuff... the fellow that
 >>>> the incident happened to didn't even use the proper 555-xxxx phone
 >>>> number to begin with... if he had, h wouldn't have had the
 >>>> problem... it only takes a small bit of research and/or to ask
 >>>> others in the know...

 >>> Yes indeed.. not sure how Ward twisted that event to Malcolm's case.
 >>> 000- in Malcolm's zone could easily be blocked by nodes in
 >>> Australia.. 1-areacode-555-0000 was an unknown entitity, previously
 >>> "safe" for this particular node, and still safe for
users of my phone
 >>> company.. and probably many others in the states.  I'm not saying
 >>> people should use that sequence, but the situations in Malcolm's case
 >>> and this node's case were very different.

 >> Isn't the 'national' number for information, 1+area code+555-1212?

 JK> That's what I thought it was for landline phones...

It is.

 >> I seem to recall using that sequence to find numbers in other cities
 >> when I had a land line. When I call that number with my cell phone, I
 >> get Cingular 411, which is their information number.

 JK> Over here, we can use either 1-areacode+555-1212 for LD (out of this
 JK> areacode) info, or just 1-555-1212 for #'s in this areacode, or 411
 JK> for local (Windsor NY) info :)  Everyone of these phone companies in
 JK> the US probably is different somewhat.   When Ron and I lived in
 JK> Warwick NY, we had yet another phone company that was privately
 JK> owned.. they did everything "their own way"..  There are
more than a
 JK> few of those phone companies still around.

Probably not as bad as some make it out to be. Once those private
companies get to the lines controlled by the Ma Bells, they comply with
what is considered normal.


Roy
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