On Tue Nov 05 at 11:31, Marc of 1:133/9018 wrote to August:
 MG> August-I'm surprised that you're able to have a phone company
 MG> voicemail option that can distinguish between your distinctive ring
 MG> numbers.
 MG> Less than 10 months ago, I spoke extensively with Bellsouth
 MG> regarding this. They researched my query and got back to me with a
 MG> supervisor. What you have working for you was not possible here.
Your situation is more surprising!     I remember when I first applied for 
the distinctive ring and vmail service.  The service rep asked me if I wanted 
the vmail on my primary number or my new distinctive-ring number.  I *had* a 
choice.   By BBS was on my new distinctive-ring number, so I (obviously) 
requested to have the vmail on my main (original) number.   I never had a 
problem.   BBS callers calling the 2nd number simply got a BUSY signal if my 
line was in use.  People calling my main number got my vmail box.
 MG> My guess is that the phone company made a "mistake" in setting up
 MG> your service,as they'd much rather collect revenues from a second
 MG> line than from distinctive ringing.
Well..  good point.  For me, it was much cheaper to have a 2nd line via 
distinctive-ring + vmail, than to have a 2nd physical line outright.   I 
didn't need a separate physical line since most of the time my telephone line 
was "unused" for anything else while I was away at work all day.
But I doubt that Bell made a mistake.  I knew of several other (Canadian) 
sysops who were running BBSs in a similar single-line distinctive-ring 
arrangement, and they too had the vmail services.
If I were you, I would persist to find out *why* your telco cannot program 
the vmail for only one of the numbers!  It is all done via software and 
programming.   I would not accept just any one technician's word that it 
cannot be done.  Have them tell you why their equipment is so limited in 
function, while Bell Canada does not seem to have that problem.
  ...AA 
     a.abolins@ieee.ca 
     august@etc.mn.pubnix.net (MTLnet)
 
---
---------------