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From: fangli@ihlpq.att.com (Fangli F Chang)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Coda Call Blocks Unwanted Calls
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Date: 8 Aug 89 18:50:48 GMT
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X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 283, message 5 of 6

In article  GREEN@wharton.upenn.edu (Scott D. Green) writes:

>X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 278, message 1 of 12
>This appeared in the Phila. Inquirer last week, by Jim McNair of the Miami
>Herald (reprinted without permission):

(stuff deleted)

>"The Coda Call Model C-757-3 is connected to the line between the
>wall plug and the telephone.  When switched on, it intercepts the
>ring and sends back a tone calling for the three-letter
>password.  The caller has five seconds to dial the code."
>
>"There are drawbacks to the Coda Call product.  Friends and
>relatives who don't know your password are shut out along with
>the undesirable callers.  And the box is incapable of passing on
>calls to your answering machine."

(more stuff deleted)

>"The Coda Call will be sold thru selected distributors of
>telephone products for $129."

Too expensive for its price/performance.

>So, at the risk of starting another Call*Block Caller*ID
>discussion, what do you think?  Winner or loser?

Loser, of course. The functions provided by the Coda Call can be
easily replaced by today's answering machine. The AT&T 1320
answering machine that I own has a "emergency call through"
feature.  Once the answering machine took over, the caller can
enter a security code (a different one from the one that used to
operate the answering machine remotely) to have the answering
machine BEEP loudly for ten times even when the volume control is
completely turned off.  After that the caller can opt to reenter the
security code again and again or wait for the recording signal and
leave his/her message. The price I paid was a little bit less than
$100 (item was on sale, tax included).  I guess AT&T probably not
the only one that offer this feature on answering machines so I
doubt there will be a bright future for call blocking devices.

>-Scott "in no way connected with Coda Call, BOC's, IEX's, Miami
>Herald, Phila. Inquirer" Green.  Member FDIC.

What I really hope to have is a voice answering service liked device:
"I'm not here to take your phone call if you are calling from xxx
please press 1 if you are calling from yyy please press 2 ....
otherwise please wait for the beep and leave you name and phone
number ...".  Better yet, when CNI is available in the future,
the device will automatic answer the incoming call with personalized
message, route to recording machine (with emergency call through
feature, of course), ring the phone with recording machine as a
backup or make some weird noise then drop the line ;-). I know
that there are some product on the market like this but none of
them is under $100 (missed by two 0 :-) may be three).

Fangli Chang
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