Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pyrdc!netsys!vector!nobody From: sewilco@datapg.MN.ORG (Scot E Wilcoxon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: The vanishing Q Message-ID:Date: 19 Sep 88 20:00:37 GMT Sender: chip@vector.UUCP Reply-To: sewilco@DataPg.MN.ORG (Scot E Wilcoxon) Lines: 20 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp (USENET Telecom Moderator) X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 8, issue 145, message 4 X-Submissions-To: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu (Mailing List Coordinator) X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp (USENET Telecom Moderator) One morning last week, WCCO-AM radio ran into trouble in its attempt to use its daily touch-tone telephone survey to sample Minnesota's view of the major-party vice presidential candidates. The question posed to listeners was: Do you favor Lloyd Bentsen or Dan Quayle for veep? To answer, listeners were instructed to call a number and touch B on their phones for Bentsen, Q for Quayle. It seemed reasonable enough, but moments later, the survey was scrapped. The problem: Touch-tone telephone buttons don't include a Q. (From Mpls Star Tribune, Sept 19 1988) Yes, I know some phones around the world have a "Q". This is a USA story. (Someone earlier mentioned data entry standards as well, although I could not get E-mail to them to get details) -- Scot E. Wilcoxon sewilco@DataPg.MN.ORG {amdahl|hpda}!bungia!datapg!sewilco Data Progress UNIX masts & rigging +1 612-825-2607 uunet!datapg!sewilco "When Hurricane Gilbert comes through, I'll stay here to experience it." CBS:"What if you experience death?" "Well, I'll worry about that later."