IP: RE: FCC lifts ban on technology-specific area codes

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: "Bob Frankston" <rmf2g2 () bobf Frankston com>
> To: <farber () cis upenn edu>
>
> I'm trying to catch up on reading IP. I might as well start by
> commenting on this issue since it is a depressing regression into
> ignorance.
>
> The ability to just dial 11 digits is very liberating compared with the
> Byzantine set of rules for dialing between pairs of numbers (7 1-7 10
> 1-10 etc). I was even starting to get used to holding on to my phone
> number as long as I didn't move. In fact, as 800 number portability
> shows, there isn't really any reason to change my phone number -- just
> let me indirect it as needed. This is why I give out only my 8xx numbers
> for my cell phones -- it's none of your bother or business whether I am
> using one or who I am getting service from or where I am in the world.
>
> The basic problem here is that if there really is an explosion of phone
> numbers, the notion of tying numbers to the kind of instrument I happen
> to be using is, at best, foolish, and at very least, assuring pervasive
> complexity and annoyance. While this rule preserves the ability to use 7
> digits in a few cases, it actually increases the number of cases where I
> need to dial a different area code, especially with cell phones starting
> to displace land lines.
>
> This seems to be a case of pandering to fear of change rather than
> representing an understanding of how people actually use phones. By this
> reasoning we shouldn't have moved to all-number dialing. Instead we
> would have easy to remember exchange numbers like "Phisch-9" and instead
> of 100 possible exchange prefixes (the first two digits) we would have
> to remember thousands of possibilities and be very good at spelling and
> pronouncing English.
>
> The idea of stable phone numbers should be so simple. It makes it seem
> even more difficult to explain why we need a level of indirection under
> ".com" names and why we cannot just put all that porn in ".xxx".
>
> Let us pause to remember the Strowger switch. If only we can move on.
>
>
> Bob Frankston
> http://www.Frankston.com
>
> Ref:
> http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-wireless-area-codes1216
> dec16.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dpolitics%2Dheadlines

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