Re: Hey, SiteFinder is back, again...

[Robert Bonomi <bonomi () mail r-bonomi com>]

> From: Steve Atkins <steve () blighty com>
> Subject: Re: Hey, SiteFinder is back, again...
> Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 13:07:14 -0800
>
> On Nov 6, 2007, at 12:20 PM, Robert Bonomi wrote:
> > > From: Barry Shein <bzs () world std com>
> > > Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 13:05:26 -0500
> > > Subject: Re: Hey, SiteFinder is back, again...
> > >
> > > Since this is verizon, one wonders why this has never been tried on
> > > wrong, non-working phone numbers?
> > >
> > >       Visit your local chevy dealer, no interest for 12 months! We're
> > >       sorry, the number you have reached....
> > >
> > > is it illegal?
> >
> > Before they could  do it, they'd have to file -- and get approved -- a
> > tariff with the public utilities commission in each state.
> >
> > I'm not at all sure how well such a proposal would fly there.
>
> There are already companies offering advertising funded
> long distance service. And advertising funded VoIP dialtone.
>
> It's not like this is a hypothetical that's bizarrely out there.

Then there was the day, circa 20 years ago now, that the ILEC modified 
'ring no answer' handling to insert a voice ad for their call-back service 
on every call that hadn't been answered after some small number (4??) of 
rings -- while continuing to ring the line.  We had a large outgoing faxmodem 
bank to estabished clients, that would alarm and abort if it encountered 
'VOICE' on a _known_ data-only line.

That was an 'interesting' day.

*VERY* strong words were said to the telco -- to the effect of 'remove that
misbegotten feature _RIGHT_NOW_, and never, *never* put any additionnal
'feature' on any of our lines without our specific approval in writing.'

We weren't the only people expressing extreme displeasure at the tactic.
I don't know of any lawsuits actually filed -- I do have direct knowledge
that several were under serious consideration.

I believe that the State  regulatory authority made them remove it as a
'default', and deploy it only for lines where the owner made specific
request for it to be added.