Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version Vortex 1.0 6/6/83; site vortex.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!vortex!lauren From: Lauren WeinsteinNewsgroups: net.flame Subject: Dial "1" first, etc. Message-ID: <72@vortex.UUCP> Date: Sat, 30-Jul-83 02:20:37 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.72 Posted: Sat Jul 30 02:20:37 1983 Date-Received: Sun, 24-Jul-83 22:08:13 EDT Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles Lines: 57 C'mon! It isn't really fair to blame "the phone company" for the variation when it comes to dialing one or another prefix digits. Different area's phone systems have evolved largely independently of each other, based on financing for new equipment approved by local PUC's, the PARTICULAR phone companies involved, the age of the existing equipment, etc. Whether central offices were mostly Step by Step, Crossbar, ESS, or (in the old days) Panel can also be relevant. It is impossible to change the entire telephone network simultaneously, and whenever any local company TRIES to make a change they tend to get flack from someone (note the recent foolishness about splitting area code 212 in New York). In Europe (and most of the rest of the world, for that matter) the situation is FAR worse. In a given area there can be all sorts of varied access codes, and local numbers (even in a single exchange) may not have the same number of digits (some range from 3 to 8 or more!) Similarly, "city codes" (like our area codes) also may vary widely in length, even within the same country. Trying to make a trunk (long distance) direct call from some overseas points can be a fascinating experience in the bizarre. Business cards overseas also often mirror the confusion. Frequently an access code is included on the card, such as in: (01) 452 8212 (London) AC A = trunk dialing access code C = city code If you were dialing this number from the U.S., you would call: 011 44 1 452 8212 acc CC c number.. acc = international access code CC = country code c = city code Anyway, it gets very confusing. Advertisers in the U.S. by and large attempt to make sure that their phone numbers will be understood by the majority of "viewers", so many now include the prefix "1" on the assumption that most areas do require the prefix. By the way, Los Angeles was the first U.S. city to start assigning local prefixes that "look" like area codes -- quite a few years ago, in fact. I still have some of the promotional "dial 1 first" stickers from about 10 years ago or so when this all began here in L.A. We even have a local prefix "700" -- talk about strange. Now we wait with anticipation for the split off of The Valley to its own area code (818) early next year. I haven't seen any serious complaints, nor did I hear about any real complaints when San Diego and the surrounding area switched from 714 to 619 (and Orange County kept 714). Those people who are kicking up such a fuss in New York City about 212 are wacko. --Lauren--