Re: Caller ID info...

[fnerd@smds.com (FutureNerd Steve Witham)]

In this report...

> Report and Order And Notice of Proposed Rulemaking of
> March 29th, 1994 (CC Docket No. 91-281)

...FCC apparently decides that per-line blocking should be prohibited 
since people might forget to unblock it when calling 911.

John Levine says,

> In other words, per-line blocking is a bad idea because subscribers
> are too dumb to unblock calls when they want to unblock them, although
> they're not [too] dumb to block calls when they want to block them.

To me the question is, why can't the phone company provide options
for blocking-on-all-but-911-calls, and unlisted-except-for-911?
More precisely, why can't the FCC allow for this simple possibility?

The reasoning seems to be, "since we can't understand why 
people want this, we must prohibit its even being an option:"

> >     ...For the
> >     foregoing reasons, we find that a federal per line blocking
> >     requirement for interstate CPN based services, including caller
> >     ID, is not the best policy choice of those available to recognize
> >     the privacy interests of callers.  Thus, carriers may not offer
> >     per line blocking as a privacy protection mechanism on interstate
> >     calls.

"...We find" it "is not the best... thus, carriers may not offer" it.
What about what the customers and consumer groups have found and fought
for?  What is wrong with letting this be decided on a regional, if not
provider, if not local, if not personal level?  Why must FCC impose least-
common-denominator reduction of services?

> > ...with comments due by May 18th.  

That's today.  I'm faxing this ill-prepared complaint to 202-632-6975.

> > Comments must reference the docket number (CC Docket No. 91-281).  

> > Send ten copies (yes, 10) to:
> > 
> > Office of the Secretary
> > Federal Communications Commission
> > Washington DC 20554

-fnerd
quote me
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
and i dreamed i was flying
high up above my eyes could clearly see
the statue of liberty
sailing away to sea        --Paul Simon
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