33 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981Copyright © 2014 E. William Horne. All Rights Reserved.The Telecom Digest for Nov 25, 2014
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| Desperate courage makes One a majority. - Andrew Jackson |
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| Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 07:30:31 -0800 (PST) From: HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Short dialling code for suicide prevention hotlines Message-ID: <c57a894a-251c-4a17-a822-4ae7b0b6be44@googlegroups.com> On Saturday, November 22, 2014 8:55:15 AM UTC-5, Nigel Allen wrote: > This may not be technically possible, since all the codes of the > format N11 have been allocated. A toll-free number that can be > represented by letters that spell an easily-remembered name may be the > only workable option for landline telephone users. For mobile users, > a short number such as #4141 could be allocated. Outside North > America, some countries may already have established national > short numbers for suicide prevention hotlines. While if might be desirable to have such a quick dial code for a suicide hotline, as the paragraph above states, there are only so many N11 or 11N code available. Further, other social advocates may demand codes for their services leading to overflow of requests. The idea of "easily remembered name" doesn't seem viable. Businesses that use names as their phone number often must add or substract letters to fit into the seven or ten digits. For instance, Amtrak's number is "800-USARAIL". Adding to the confusion is the area code--if it's 800, there are no substitute letters. Usually the area code--800, 888, 877, etc., needs to still be remembered. More significantly, such a number is not something people will remember on an everyday basis--it's not something they'll regularly use, obviously. > In Toronto's subway system, trackside pay telephones are equipped with > a button that places a free call to a local suicide prevention > hotline. This feature takes advantage of the programmable buttons on > certain models of payphone that allow single-button access to numbers > such as taxi services, telecommunications carrier offices or (in this > case) a hotline. In the U.S., pay phones are being removed from many railroad stations(1) as the cost to have them is very high and the usage extremely low. In a few cases they've been replaced by passenger intercoms(2). Some carriers now have information "apps" where passengers can use their cell phone to find out about schedules and train status. Certain train stations have a poster with suicide hot line number on it, and a few stations have a direct hotline to a suicide help center. Sadly, train stations along the Northeast Corridor, with its fast frequent trains, have been a target for those seeking suicide. 1.) The NJ Transit Princeton station has been rebuilt. The old station contained a classic telephone booth, complete with directory, seat, table, light, and vent fan. The new station has no payphones at all. The nearby busy Princeton Jct station once had several payphones along the platforms and in the waiting rooms; all have been recently removed. 2.) I attempted to use such an intercom to report a problem. Upon pressing the 'call' button it activated an automatic dialer. It went to a voice mail at the other end stating the mailbox was full. (This is one the reasons I am always suspicious of automation replacing a manual service.) |
| Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 08:58:32 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Regin, new computer spyware, discovered by Symantec Message-ID: <10003C4E-EE4C-41ED-B21D-E46A377E878C@roscom.com> Regin, new computer spyware, discovered by Symantec A leading computer security company says it has discovered one of the most sophisticated pieces of malicious software ever seen. Symantec says the bug, named Regin, was probably created by a government and has been used for six years against a range of targets around the world. Once installed on a computer, it can do things like capture screenshots, steal passwords or recover deleted files. ... http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30171614 |
| Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 07:11:57 -0800 (PST) From: HAncock4 <withheld@invalid.telecom-digest.org> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: allegations that cell phone jammer contributed to death toll Message-ID: <91edff83-a00e-4afb-85eb-150a530dd20d@googlegroups.com> On Sunday, November 23, 2014 8:47:34 PM UTC-5, danny burstein wrote: > It is unclear if the synagogue had a landline for emergencies in the > past. FWIW, I've been on the alter of several houses of worship of different denominations over the years. Every one had a discretely located landline, (ringer turned off, obviously). But the phone was there for emergencies. As to the synogogue where the attacks occured, if cell use was blocked indoors, couldn't someone merely run outside and make a call from there? |
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