Re: Need Help With a Telephone Mystery

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would be careful saying that it is

> a 'simple misdialing' if there are _many_ people calling it.

In this particular case, it does sound likely it's merely misdialing -- people are trying to reach the company but reaching his number instead. Yes I agree the translation table should've been updated but nowadays it's understandable it wasn't. Indeed, with all the mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies I'm frightened to what exists out there.

Also remember that right now the new Medicare Drug Plan is being implemented and it's a mess. Lots of people are calling in with questions, so call volume is unusually high. That would increase the chances of error dialing.

Don't underestimate the grief someone has with a phone number close to a popular number. A friend's number is vaguely similar to a pizza place and he gets frequent calls for the place. (Since he's not usually there it's not a problem). A number I once had was similar to a call-in for work assignments and I got calls regularly at 5am.

I remember when our family moved and got a new number from a newly created exchange. My mother was concerned that it was ANC and an exchange no one heard of; she thought it would make us look odd. (Interesting how we were concerned with our appearances back then.) However, we never got anyone wrong numbers for many years.

I wonder if Touch Tone pads generate more errors than rotary dials since people can zip along much faster, increasing the chance of error. Further, with portable and cell phones, people could not be paying attention while dialing and make more mistakes.

The old Bell Telephone movies showing somebody dialing carefully from a written down number while seated with good posture at a good desk is not real life.

I think in the old days the phone company knew certain numbers were error prone and avoided assigning them out if possible. Also, businesses tended to have symetrical or even hundred numbers. But today that's not the case. Further, many businesses use spelled out numbers which I think are much more error prone. That is, dialing ABC-BANK is trickier than say 922-4800.

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hancock4
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