*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Phone Terms by The Vindicator This file made for and only for The Mines of Moria, you may not put ANY of this information on any other board without asking me first!!! -------------------------------------- THE TERMS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE WORDS THAT MAKE UP A CURIOUS LINGO KNOWN AS "TELEPHONESE." THE NEXT TIME YOU DISCUSS YOUR TELEPHONE PROBLEMS WITH A PHONE COMPANY PERSON, YOU WILL AT LEAST KNOW WHAT HE OR SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT IF NOT WHAT HE OR SHE MEANT. A & A BUREAU:ABUSE AND ANNOYANCE BUREAU. THE PERSONNEL IN THIS LINE OF WORK SPEND THEIR TIME HELPING CUSTOMERS GET RID OR NUTS, OBSCENE CALLERS, HARASSING COLLECTORS, ETC. SHOULD YOU RECEIVE "BOTHERING" PHONE CALLS, GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE PEOPLE. BLUE BOX:A DEVICE THAT ENABLES THE USER TO PLACE LONG DISTANCE CALLS WITHOUT BEING DETECTED--SOMETIMES. THESE DEVICES ARE ILLEGAL, BUT USED EXTENSIVELY NEVERTHELESS. B.O.S.:BUSINESS OFFICE SUPERVISOR. SHE'S THE BOSS TO ALL THOSE DISGUSTINGLY PERKY SERVICE REPS. IF YOU CANNOT GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE SERVICE REP, TAKE IT UP WITH THE B.O.S. B.S.I.:BUSINESS SERVICES INSTRUCTOR. A TRAFFIC EMPLOYEE WHO WILL COME OUT AND TEACH YOU HOW TO USE YOUR PHONE SYSTEM. AN INVALUABLE PERSON TO HAVE STOP BY AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. B-STATEMENT:THE SECTION OF YOUR TELE- PHONE BILL THAT LISTS ALL LONG DISTANCE CALLS BILLED TO YOUR NUMBER. CENTRAL OFFICE:A TELEPHONE BUILDING HOUSING THE EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO KEEP AN EXCHANGE OPERATING.(IN THIS SENSE, AN EXCHANGE IS ANY THREE DIGIT PREFIX AREA.) A CENTRAL OFFICE MAY HANDLE MORE THAN ONE EXCHANGE. CENTREX: A SOPHISTICATED TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM ENABLING THE CUSTOMER TO RECEIVE AND MAKE CALLS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A CENTRAL ANSWERING POINT. COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT:A PERSON WHO SELLS TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT AND ADVISES YOU ABOUT IT, OR WHO ANALYZES IT. THE TERM HAS GAINED NEW POPULARITY WITHIN THE TELEPHONE BUT THE INDEPENDENT OPERATOR USE IT MORE OFTEN (SEE MARKETING REP). COMMERCIAL:A DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE COMPANY. SERVICE REPS AND, IN SOME COMPANIES, SALES, ARE IN COMMERCIAL. IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING UP-TO-DATE RECORDS ON YOUR PHONE EQUIPMENT AND BILLING, SO THAT IF A PROBLEM ARISES THEY CAN HANDLE IT OR AT LEAST GET THE BALL ROLLING. CONNDUCTOR:A DEVICE TO KEEP TELEPHONE RECORDED MESSAGE MACHINES FROM VAPORIZING CENTRAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT. SIMILAR TO A COUPLER, IT IS REALLY NOTHING MORE THAN A GLORIFIED CIRCUIT BREAKER. COUPLER:A DEVICE USED TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FLASHBACK AND MAINTAIN NORMAL ELECTRICAL FLOW ON A TELEPHONE LINE. USED AS A BUFFER BETWEEN C.O.A.M.E. AND TELEPHONE COMPANY EQUIPMENT. C.O.A.M.E.:CUSTOMER OWNED AND MAINTAINED EQUIPMENT. C.W.A.:THE COMMUNICATION WORKERS OF AMERICA. ONE OF THE LARGER UNIONS IN THE BOUNDRY, THE C.W.A. REPRESENTS 90 PERCENT OF THE UNIONIZED TELCO WORK FORCE. D.D.D.:DIRECT DISTANCE DIALING. THE LOWEST LONG DISTANCE RATES AVAILABLE FOR THE THE MASS OF HUMANITY. ALSO KNOWN AS ONE-PLUS DIALING. DECORATOR PHONES:A GENERIC TERM USED TO DESCRIBE THE PSEUDO-ANTIQUE PHONES ON THE MARKET--EITHER TELCO--MADE OR OTHERWISE. E.S.S.:ELECTRONIC SWITCHING SYSTEMS. COMPUTERIZED CENTRAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT. SUPPOSEDLY THE PANACEA TO ALL TELEPHONE LINES AND THE BACKBONE OF THOSE FUTURE SERVICES WE WON'T ENJOY FOR YEARS TO COME. EXCHANGE:ALL NUMBERS WITHIN A GIVEN THREE--DIGIT PREFIX AREA. CAN ALSO BE USED TO DESCRIBE A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THE SIZE OF A CITY. F.C.C.:THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISION. FLAT RATE:A SINGLE MONTHLY CHARGE FOR SERVICE. FUZZ BOX:A DEVICE THAT, BY DUPLICATING THE TONES OF COINS DROPPING DOWN THE PHONE CHUTE, MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO PLACE CALLS FROM PAY PHONES WITHOUT USING MONEY. F.X.:FOREIGN EXCHANGE SERVICE. A LONG DISNANCE SERVICE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE OF RECEIVE CALLS IN A GIVEN AREA FOR A FLAT MONTHLY RATE. ONLY FOR THOSE WHO MAKE OF RECEIVE MANY CALLS IN A RELATIVELY SMALL AREA. H.C. INSTRUMENT:AN ORDINARY TELEPHONE WITH NO EXTRAS. I.D.E.W.:INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS. A UNION THAT REPRESENTS SEVEN PERCENT OF ALL UNIONIZED TELEPHONE WORKERS. INDEPENDINT:A TELEPHONE COMPANY NOT ASOCIATED WITH THE BELL SYSTEM. I.C.:INSTALLATION CHARGE. INSTALLATION INTERVAL:THE LENGTH OF TIME BETWEEN THE DATE THE SERVICE IS ORDERED AND THE DATE THE SERVICE IS INSTALLED. INTERCONNEC:A STPPLIEN OF TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT. TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT NOT SUPPLIED BY THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED TELEPHONE COMPANY. INTERSTAN:TELEPHONE SERVICE THAT CROSSES STATE LINES. SUCH SERVICES COME UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE F.C.C. INTRASTATE:TELEPHONE SERVICES THAT REMAIN WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF A STATE. SUCH SERVICES COME UNDERS THE JURISDICTION OF THE P.S.C. JOINT PRACTICES:AN INTER--COMPANY GUIDE AKIN TO THE GENEVA RULES OF WAR. THE J.P. COVERS SUCH THINGS AS INTERVALS, OFFERINGS, AND PROCEDURES. K.K.6:A SIX--BUTTON TELEPHONE. THE STANDARD TELEPHONE FOUND IN MOST OFFICES, THE K.K.6 CAN HANDLE FIVE LINES--THE SIXTH BUTTON IS USED FOR HOLD. LAYOUT CARD:SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS OF THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS REQUIRED FOR A TELEPHONE INSTALLATION. NORMALLY, YOU WILL HEAR OF THESE ONLY WHEN THEY ARE LOST. LINE:THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT TERMINATING IN OUR TELEPHONE. LONG DISTANCE:TECHNICALLY, ANY CALL THAT TERMINATES MORE THAN SEVENTEEN MILES FROM THE SOURCE. LONG DISTANCE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE MAIN CATEGORIES:DIRECT DIALED,STATION TO STATION, AND PERSON-TO-PERSON. LONG LINES:A DIVISION OF A.T.&T. RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION OF THE LONG DISTANCE NETWORK. WHILE THE LOCAL TELCO HANDLES ALL MAINTENANCE, LONG LINES DIRECTS OVERALL SUPERVISION. MARKETING REP:THE SALESPEOPLE OF THE BELL COMPANIES.(ALSO KNOWN AS ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE.) MESSAGE UNIT:BILLING BY THE NUMBER OF MESSAGES MADE ON THE LINE. GENERALLY, THE CUSTOMERS RECEIVE A FLAT RATE FOR AN INITIAL PERIOD OR AMOUNT AND PAY FOR ANY OVERAGE. MUTE BOX:A DEVICE THAT ENABLE THE USER TO RECEIVE LONG DISTANCE CALLS WITHOUT BEING DETECTED. USE OF SUCH ITEMS IS ILLEGAL. NONLISTED NUMBERS:TELEPHONE NUMBERS THAT DO NOT APPEAR IN THE DIRECTORY BUT THAT ARE AVAILABLE IF THE INQUIRER CALLS DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE. NONPUBLISHED NUMBERS:TELEPHONE NUMBERS NOT MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. ALSO KNOWN AS SILENT NUMBERS. O.C.C.:OTHER CHARGES AND CREDITS. A STATEMENT THAT COMES WITH YOUR BILL IF YOU HAVE HAD SERVICE INSTALLED OR DISCONNECTED,"EXPLAINING" THE FRACTIONAL CHARGES OR CREDITS THEREOF. P.B.X.:PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE.COMMONLY KNOWN AS A SWITHCHBOARD. MINI-CENTRAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT FOR BUSINESS CUSTOMERS WITH FROM 10 TO 2,000 TELEPHONES. PHONE PHREAKS:PEOPLE WHO USE BLUE BOXES, MUTE BOXES OR OTHER FRAUDULENT MEANS TO MAKE OR RECEIVE LONG DISTANCE CALLS. PHONE POWER:CONCEPTS OF PHONE USAGE DESIGNED TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND/OR REDUCE OPERATING COSTS. P.L.:PRIVATE LINE. UNLIMITED CALLING BETWEEN TWO OR MORE POINTS ON ONE LINE FOR A FLAT MONTHLY RATE. P.S.C.:PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. A STATE REGULATORY AGENCY. RATE:THE PRICE. RATE STEP:PRICING BASED ON INCREMENTS. EXAMPLE:LONG DISTANCE RATES ARE BASED ON MILEAGE. THE GREATER THE DISTANCE, THE MORE IT COSTS. REVENUE:TELEPHONESE FOR INCOME. S.A.:SERVICE ASSISTANT. A NONMANAGEMENT EMPLOYEE WHO HELPS OPERATORS WITH DIFFICULT CALLS AND MAINTAINS SOME SEMBLANCE OF ORDER WITH THE PAPERWORK. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE:THE YOUNG LADY WHO TAKES YOUR ORDERS FOR SERVICE, EXPLAINS THE ACCOMPANYING O.C.C., AND ORDERS THE SERVICE TO BE CUT OFF WHEN YOU DON'T PAY FOR IT. SERVING VEHICLE:THE EQUIPMENT THAT MAKES YOUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM FUNCTION. SPECIAL BILLING NUMBERS:A TYPE OF CREDIT CARD THAT ITEMIZES LONG DISTANCE CALLS BILLED TO YOUR NUMBER BY THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MADE THEM. STATION:A TELEPHONE ASSOCIATED WITH A P.B.X. SWITCHING GEAR:CENTRAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT TARIFF:THE POLICIES AND LAWS GOVERNING TELEPHONE PRACTICES AS SET DOWN BY THE F.C.C. AND THE P.S.C. TERMINATION AGREEMENT:A CONTRACT REQUIRED BY THE TELEPHONE COMPANY WHENEVER A LARGE TELEPHONE SYSTEM IS INSTALLED. A T.A. CALLS FOR YOU TO LEAVE A SYSTEM IN FOR A SET LENGTH OF TIME OR PAY A PENALTY FOR ITS PREMATURE REMOVAL. TOUCH-TONE:THE BELL SYSTEM NAME FOR PUSH-BUTTON DIALING. TRAFFIC:A DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR HANDLING ALL LONG DISTANCE CALLS AND MAINTAINING ORDER ON ALL MEDIUM-TO-LARGE TELEPHONE SYSTEMS. U.S.I.T.A.:UNITED STATES INDEPENDENT TELEPHONE ASSOCIATION. USAGE:THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, AND WHY OF TELEPHONE USE. AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF YOUR CALLING HABITS. W.A.T.S.:WIDE AREA TELEPHONE SERVICE. A LONG DISTANCE SERVICE OFFERED TO BUSINESS CUSTOMERS ENABLING THEM TO USE LARGE AMOUNTS OF LONG DISTANCE SERVICE FOR A VOLUME DISCOUNT RATE. 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