|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
back to the subject at hand. (oh no)
"The introduction of zero as a symbol denoting the absence of units... has been rated as one of the greatest practical inventions of all time."
- E. T. Bell Devel. Math.
"The introduction of "oh" as a reading of zero is certainly one of the most diabolical [diachronic!] developments of all time."
- joe bfstplk
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
The introduction of "oh" as a reading of zero is certainly one of the most diabolical [diachronic!] developments of all time.
When I was in the Navy part numbers were formed of letters and numerals scattered helter-skelter, swept up and lined up in neat rows. There was no discernible rhyme nor reason to them. After various attempts to force some uniformity down craws already sated with uniformity the differences between O and 0 and between I and 1 were decreed to be meaningless.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
different AREA code than her own for her neighbor who lives three houses down the street! It's bad enough when they take one area code (geographic area) and split it into two (redefining the geographic area). Now we have overlay area codes - that's when all the numbers within one area code have been used up (!) and all new numbers (telephone, fax, cell, pager) are assigned a different area code. The result is that people within the same household may have different area codes. Practically speaking, the advantage to an area code split is that you can dial within the area code using only seven digits (US) eg, 555-xxxx. With the area code overlay, you have to dial 10 digits at all times, eg, yyy-555-xxxx. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771 |
For anyone who would like to quickly discern a word scheme for your phone number, go to: http://labrocca.com/phone/ Kinda tedious in the same way as the anagram server, having to search for a string that makes sense or strikes your fancy, but fun at the same time... My prefix is UFO... hmmm. Later edit: And my work phone number is "NAPS-R-US". *That's* telling.And while we're on the subject, before this recent explosion of area codes, I recall most if not all area codes had 0 or 1 as the middle digit ~ 212 for NYC, 206 for Seattle & Western WA, 509 for Eastern Washington, 503 for the whole of Oregon, 213 for LA, 406 for Montana... you get the idea, and I'm out of memory-based examples. The power time/rotary explanation offered for prefix logic was fascinating to me - but I'm still curious about this pattern for area codes that I perceived back in the 70s. Any rationale anyone knows of for this?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
re:but I'm still curious about this pattern for area codes that I perceived back in the 70s. Any rationale anyone knows of for this?
2 reasons
First--because 0 and 1 didn't have letters assigned to the numbers, there were virtually no exchanges that used these numbers, so it was an easier to set up.
second--once you lift the reciever, the voltage on your phone increases from 5 volts to 40 volts, and you are not charged for this higher voltage until you connect. (the cost of the call is partly the energy cost)
so areas with high volumes (large cities) got numbers that could connect faster with the old rotary dials. NY's 212 is the fastest code to dial, 909 is the slowest.
business numbers with zeros--555-1000 were charge a premium for their all zero number, too.
now that 95% of US is wired for digital (touch tones) all area codes are equal. it doesn't take any longer to call 909 than 212.
when the 1+ area code came in, it allowed for area codes with out 1 or 0 in the middle, and for exchanges with 1 or 0 in the middle
this really increased the number of area codes, and the number of exchanges available, with out resorting to 8 digits for a basic number. so everyone thinks of there telephone number as 7 digits (US!) plus 3 for an area code, and first dial one. (really 11 numbers!)
the good news is we missed out on all the fun that our friends in UK have had, where the origanal plan was didn't offer enough numbers, and then with cell phones, the need grew again, and they ran out of numbers again!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Now that is interesting of troy.
Years ago my brother Joe worked for AT&T and he said area codes were originally set up to reflect the volume of calls and since there were dials -not buttons- it was faster to dial certain numbers .... hence NY City 212 , DC 202 and Hawaii 808.
Yet another myth? Would my brother do that to me? Hmmm .....
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
When speaking in casual conversation, I will substitute "oh" for "zero," but when preciseness counts - like when relaying a credit card number over the phone - I'll use "zero." Some people leave me with the impression that saying "zero" is unusual.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
When I was little, we lived in the IVanhoe exchange. I can still instantly recall the phone number for the Yellow Cab company, which had a gingle which incorporated it - IV 21 444 .... Conveniently, the number still services the Yellow Cab company.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
In reply to:
I recall most if not all area codes had 0 or 1 as the middle digit ~ 212 for NYC, 206 for Seattle & Western WA, 509 for Eastern Washington, 503 for the whole of Oregon, 213 for LA, 406 for Montana... you get the idea, and I'm out of memory-based examples. The power time/rotary explanation offered for prefix logic was fascinating to me - but I'm still curious about this pattern for area codes that I perceived back in the 70s. Any rationale anyone knows of for this?
Until the last decade, all area codes, and only area codes, had a 0 or a 1 as the middle digit; this convention allowed the phone exchange system to recognize an area code and differentiate it from an exchange. One of the reasons we must now dial the area code when calling long distance intra-LATA as well as inter-LATA is that the number of area codes now needed exceeds the number of permutations which can be obtained using just 0 or 1 as the middle digit.
-- Sparteye, who has had to read too many utilities regulation cases
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
Okay, what is >>intra-LATA as well as inter-LATA
and the telephone company (this is back in the days of Ma Bell) anticipated the need for more area codes.. 718 was held in reserve, and 917, as well. i know these because they are local, i know there were others as well.
Direct dialing was available in 1960's in major metropolitan areas (that is direct dialing of long distance numbers) by the early 1970's you could direct dial station to station international calls. I remember calling Dublin when my son was born, circa 1973.
speaking of regulations, in most areas, the telephone charged extra for touch tone service, even though it saved them a ton of money. it was offered as a new improved service. and direct dial of long distance was only slightly cheaper than having the operator place the call, but that too, earned the telephone company money, since you could no longer make phantom person to person calls, to confirm your safe arrival at a distant location.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,915
Posts229,845
Members9,197
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
611
guests, and
3
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
