The Phone Systems

Zaaphod · Postby **Zaaphod** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:27 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (norsenerd @ Jun 22 2004, 06:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> I thin peopel shouln;t use cell phones while driving. That's a much better safty concern then anythign esle.  </td></tr></table>  I heartily agree. It really irritates me to be driving and see idiots talking on their stupid cellphones. Pull over if you want to jabber at someone, don't endanger yourself and other people.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:36 am

No question that there's a real safety hazard to sharing the road with mobile phone distracted drivers. It's especially bad when your doing city driving. But, it also may serve some higher Darwinian purpose . . .

Foxchild · Postby **Foxchild** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:01 am

depends upon the phone conversation, and as long as the person on the other end understands that your driving and doesn't do anything distracting (such as scream) i see it as just the same as having a friend in the car in the passengers seat. Now, really yes, time talking on the phone while driving should be limited, only done when neccisary. Of coarse, i assume that people still try and pay attention to the road while on the phone, while there are a good man who DON'T. THOSE are the poeple sho should be tarred and feathered over this.

norsenerd · Postby **norsenerd** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:20 am

I dpon;t liek it when ANYBODY does it. But the diference between having a nother guy int he car wiht you is that other guy also sees the road conditions. IT times where the concintration si eneded he can shut up while ont he phone the person woudl have no idea. It makes me realy nervious when you talk to me while driving. I sorda wish you woudlnm;t do it but if it is important I will stay on.

Foxchild · Postby **Foxchild** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:33 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (norsenerd @ Jun 22 2004, 11:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> I dpon;t liek it when ANYBODY does it. But ...having a nother guy int he car wiht you is that other guy also sees the road conditions...  </td></tr></table>  Not always. In fact, I know a few people who while as a passenger, DON'T watch the road at ALL, and are a heck of a lot more distracting that a calm conversation on the phone in which you understand i'm driving.

Tavis · Postby **Tavis** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 7:43 am

It is true that in the case of a catastrophe such as a power blackout or a terrorist threat cellphones may be crippled. It is clear that those systems need greater reliability. It is also true that in such dire situations, cellphones have also helped victims keep in touch with rescuers and even assist in locating victims. Land lines are too reliable to give up altogether, and some systems will be sticking with them. Voice over IP technology, on the other hand, relies on whatever network system it may use for a connection, namely any connection to the Internet. Many of these systems are heavily fault-tolerant, and with the strategic use of emergency power, can be more reliable than cellphone networks and even the traditional landline, since it will not require the telephone company to establish a connection. Perhaps it is this redundancy you seek. As for cellphone use in driving conditions, it has been repeatedly proven to be dangerous, regardless of whether the driver uses a handfree device or sticks the handset on the ear. On that note, talking on a cellphone should be kept to a minimum, and if the call is important enough to be taken right away, it is important enough to try to pull over somewhere to use it. Otherwise, that's what voice mail is for. <img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' />

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 11:01 am

Right, the voice over IP concept probably is the next step in a melding of the phone system with the internet. We're really talking about a unification of three distinct types of systems: the landline phone network, the internet, and the cell phone networks. Once there is more standardization of the interfaces between these three, they will all add to the redundancy of each other. As far as cell phone use in rescue operations are concerned, the most extreme example I can think of comes from my one time hometown of Barrow, Alaska. The Search and Rescue Department of the local municipality checks out combined cell phones/ gps transponders to hunters going onto the tundra to make sure that they have access to these devices. I know of a few people this has saved.

norsenerd · Postby **norsenerd** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:18 pm

Hehe. The Search and Resque departmnet. I dont; care what anybody else says Alaska is way cooler then Texas.

Tavis · Postby **Tavis** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 4:19 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'>Quote: (norsenerd @ Jun 23 2004, 10:18 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Hehe. The Search and Resque departmnet. I dont; care what anybody else says Alaska is way cooler then Texas.  </td></tr></table>  Given our summers, I am willing to take that literally.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 8:22 pm

Hey, you try running a municipality covering land the size of Minnesota without one. People are few and far between in the Arctic. Almost makes me want to go back, but then sanity kicks in . . .

norsenerd · Postby **norsenerd** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 8:30 pm

You're amazing Visable Missing.

Ozymandias · Postby **Ozymandias** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 10:02 am

Ok, by this I'm assuming that I'm the only English person on the site. Over here using a Mobile Phone whilst dirving is illegal. If you are spotted you can be pulled over and given an instant fine. It came into effect a coupla months back. The only annoying thing is that all the radio traffic reports say "If you do spot an accident on the roads, please call us on <number>, but only if its hands free, safe and legal to do so. The only time that you're allowed to use a mobile phone is with a hands free set. This means you don't have to take one hand off the wheel. Other than that it is the same as talking to someone who is in the car. I mean think about it. You are driving in a city/suburban area. The road is clear. Your phone rings. You look down to pick it up, press the answer button, look back up and *SMACK* you hit a child who ran out after a ball. How do you feel? OK because its legal? You wish you'd left your phone at home? You wish you'd spent a few quid on a hands free kit?

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 10:19 am

There are places in the US where it is illegal to use a standard mobile phone while driving. Unfortunately, it is a state by state, municipality by municipality process over here. Federal laws are harder to pass, so we probably won't see anything on a national basis very soon, if ever. And the whole running over a kid thing. As someone who does most of his driving in a city these days, this is a fear of mine even without the distraction of mobile phones!

Ozymandias · Postby **Ozymandias** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 10:25 am

I'm not driving yet, but i guess it will be a fear of mine too when i drive Anyhoo...back on topic Well, if the power goes down your normal house phone should still work. It won't if its cordless or fax or something. However, the exchange needs power, and once you get onto the national 'backbone' its all very high power fibre optic cables (seriously, don't look down one. Itll burn ur retinas off. Straight up.) Then there's international fibre optic cables. No chance of those working. Its quite easy to get around a bank's silent alarm if your dad is a Telecom's engineer. Like mine.

VisibilityMissing · Postby **VisibilityMissing** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 10:31 am

An aside: Sign hanging in a laser lab: "Protect your good eye"

Define Cynical Fan Forums

The Phone Systems

Who is online