Post #201,151
3/29/05 8:15:39 PM
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Well, (probably because I'm a contrarian)
...I'd like to go to the German form, adapted, of course, for U.S. audiences:
1) If you're dialling to the same exchange, all you need is the last 4 digits...the rest of the number is optional.
2) If you're dialling to a different exchange but in the same area code (even if you're in an overlaid area, you fuckheads at the FCC!), all you need is the 7 digits that comprise the exchange and the number...the rest of the number is optional
3) If you're dialling outside of your area code, you dial 1, then the entire 10 digit number
4) If your dialling out of the country, dial 011, then the country code, then the entire target number (which may vary widely in number of digits....)
Our idiot fuckhead FCC thinks this scheme is too "confusing". I find that insulting that a scheme that is too "confusing" for us here in the states today is: 1) actually an re-introduction of a scheme from a timewhen telephones were not as ubiquitous as they are today, and was therefore not so "confusing" say a generation or two ago, and 2) perfectly logical and functional or the entire rest of the world (give or take a few outliers...).
jb4
shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating the facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf. BULLSHIT
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Post #201,158
3/29/05 8:56:50 PM
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Note on "overlaid" area codes.
I'm coming to the conclusion that is a universally bad idea.
About 10 or 15 years ago, Australia realized we were going to run out of numbers in several major centres (e.g. Sydney) and we had to do something. So they looked at what everyone else was doing. The US was creating additional area codes, often right on top of existing ones. The UK was (AFAIR) also creating extra codes but was splitting regions. Our number regulator didn't like either approach. They cited end-user problems and confusion in dialling - exactly the problems you guys have noted.
We went in a different direction: we reduced the number of area codes, and increased all local numbers to 8 digits. Now the whole of NSW is 02, whereas formerly about 70% of Sydney was. Non-Sydney areas that were 04x or 06x and six digits became 02 and the 4x or 6x moved onto the start of their old number. Sydney numbers all gained a 9. And I've been seeing numbers starting with an 8 for a while now. In fact, Sydney and Melbourne each gained over 5 million new numbers so it will be a long time before we run out again.
Wade.
Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
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Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please
| -- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. |
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Post #201,159
3/29/05 9:06:36 PM
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Houston did both
When our 2nd area code was added, the city was split with 713 for addresses inside the beltway and 281 for those outside. There was a lot of expense for those businesses with new numbers - having to print up new letterhead, notify customers, etc.
When the 3rd area code was added they went with the overlay plan due to all of the complaints about the costs from before.
My thoughts on the matter was they should just have added 1 extra digit to the end of the phone number and increase the amount of numbers 10 fold. Any existing number would have a 0 as the new last digit, so if you saw an old-style number anywere you could still dial it by adding a 0 to the end.
Darrell Spice, Jr. [link|http://spiceware.org/gallery/ArtisticOverpass|Artistic Overpass]\n[link|http://www.spiceware.org/|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
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Post #201,168
3/29/05 10:35:51 PM
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Sounds like they didn't give enough notice.
The Australian public had *years* of notice. And the details about *each* step of the migration was public. We had some media flurry when the first 8-digit numbers appeared due to PABX software not understanding 8-digit numbers, but the regulatory authority's response was pretty much "you've known for years that it was happening - it's not out fault you won't upgrade your PABX software".
Wade.
Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
| |
Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please
| -- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. |
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Post #201,221
3/30/05 10:21:47 AM
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wasn't much
if [link|http://frodo.bruderhof.com/areacode/|this] list is correct then it was 8 months. 11/02/1996 - 06/07/1997 Area Code 281 : splits off area code 713 in Texas Looks like most lead time was less than a year in the states. Darrell Spice, Jr. [link|http://spiceware.org/gallery/ArtisticOverpass|Artistic Overpass]\n[link|http://www.spiceware.org/|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
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Post #201,214
3/30/05 8:38:40 AM
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Re: Houston did both
When our 2nd area code was added, the city was split with 713 for addresses inside the beltway and 281 for those outside. There was a lot of expense for those businesses with new numbers - having to print up new letterhead, notify customers, etc.
When the 3rd area code was added they went with the overlay plan due to all of the complaints about the costs from before. Pennsylvania gave up on splitting areas because numbers where being added so fast they couldn't keep up. That seems to have peaked though, the real problem was back in the 80's when home users started using multiple numbers. Between cell phones, modems and faxes, even home users might have 3 or 4 numbers. Jay
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Post #201,226
3/30/05 10:45:23 AM
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The reason our "Bell system" will NEVER increase...
...the number of digits in a phone number has to do with the classic "rule of 7" which their own researchers discovered. Since it's their discovery, they will stick with it come hell or high water. (Oh, and that plus the fact that it would be "confusing"...)
jb4
shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating the facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf. BULLSHIT
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Post #201,233
3/30/05 11:05:02 AM
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rule of 7 is long gone
we're on 10 digit dialing afterall...
Darrell Spice, Jr. [link|http://spiceware.org/gallery/ArtisticOverpass|Artistic Overpass]\n[link|http://www.spiceware.org/|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
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Post #201,255
3/30/05 12:07:00 PM
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Yes, of course
But still, the rule of seven has already been invoked to shut down the 8-digit solution.
For me, I don't really see the diffeence between "duh-duh-DUH...duh-duh-DUH...duh-duh-duh-DUH" and "duh-duh-DUH...duh-duh-duh-DUH...duh-duh-duh-DUH". But then, I don't find the Germanic system particularly "confusing' either. Like I said, I'm a contrarian. (And I like to think I have an IQ somewhere above 75, which seems to be the average for Murikans these days.)
jb4
shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating the facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf. BULLSHIT
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Post #201,338
3/30/05 11:56:35 PM
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I think that rule is slightly faulty anyway.
And that is because the grouping of digits in a phone number influences the memorability. Two groups of 4 digits are no harder to remember than one of 3 and one of 4. And those researchers might be astonished to discover that the Aussie mobile phone numbers are also memorable: and they're of the form 04xx yyy zzz! So much for the "7-digit" rule, as Darrell pointed out.
Wade.
Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
| |
Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please
| -- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne. |
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