Skipping the area code?

[Stan Brown]

Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
so it is possible for me to go months without ever
calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
in the 661 area code.

Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
digits and press the button to initiate call, they
prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
"Phone" app, not Samsung's.)

If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
numerous apps of minor utility.


--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA
https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

[KenW]

On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown
<the_sta...@fastmail.fm> wrote:

>Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
>so it is possible for me to go months without ever
>calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
>in the 661 area code.
>
>Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
>that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
>digits and press the button to initiate call, they
>prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
>I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
>Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
>"Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
>If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>numerous apps of minor utility.

I was working as a telephone tech in New York City when area codes
were added. To this day I still enter area codes even if not needed.


KenW

[sms]

On 10/6/2023 7:05 AM, Stan Brown wrote:
> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
> in the 661 area code.
>
> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

No. Also, the app from the Play Store that looked like it added this
feature (among many others) is gone
<https://web.archive.org/web/20190312172859/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tftbelow.prefixer>.

I have the same area code bypass feature on my Obi device that is used
with Google Voice for my "landline."

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

[candycanearter07]

On 10/6/23 08:10, sms wrote:
> No. Also, the app from the Play Store that looked like it added this
> feature (among many others) is gone
> <https://web.archive.org/web/20190312172859/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tftbelow.prefixer>.

Do you know why it was removed?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

[AJL]

Stan Brown wrote:

> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
> in my contacts list

> and not in the 661 area code.

Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
this from Verizon:

"Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
dial again, including the area code."

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 06.10.23 um 15:04 schrieb KenW:

I do not enter anything.
The numbers in my contacts all have country code+area code+local# to be
able to call them from any point on this planet without any additional
effort.

--
De gustibus non est disputandum

[The Real Bev]

Ooma prepends the appropriate numbers.

I still resent it. LA County has at least half a dozen, and I've had
four (including none) with the same phone number since 1960 and now
we're supposed to do 10-digit calls (plus 1, of course) in OUR OWN
FUCKING AREA CODE because people who might want to be talked out of
suicide are too stupid to call 911 and need their own suicide-hotline
number.

I can't remember the suicide number, so I guess if I wanted to kill
myself and then decided I wanted somebody to talk me out of it I'd have
to call 911 to ask what the number is.

Somebody is not firing on all cylinders.


--
Cheers, Bev
"Americans are looking for more government in their life,
not less." -- Colin Powell, former Good Guy

[The Real Bev]

That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
talked out of it. Yet another solution in search of a problem.

[Wally J]

The Real Bev <bashl...@gmail.com> wrote

> I still resent it. LA County has at least half a dozen, and I've had
> four (including none) with the same phone number since 1960 and now
> we're supposed to do 10-digit calls (plus 1, of course) in OUR OWN
> FUCKING AREA CODE

[OT] Remember "Murry Hill 8" phone numbers way back when?

[Wally J]

Stan Brown <the_sta...@fastmail.fm> wrote

> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing.

I don't know much about Android (not like you do Windows), but I hate to
see a question asked that doesn't have a solution to that question yet.

I know you from the Windows group and you've helped me so I'd like to try
in a small way to help pay you back - although I can't help all that much.

I do not know the answer - and I saw every answer to date, where you should
likely take the response from Steve Scharf as the most reliable - which was
that an app for that perhaps existed - but no more.
<https://www.google.com/search?&q=com.tftbelow.prefixer>
<https://xdaforums.com/t/app-to-add-prefix-at-the-moment-of-calling.4360441/>
"Dev has stopped <https://www.253below.com/prefixer>
It's no longer on playstore but you can find it on apkpure at
<https://m.apkpure.com/prefixer/com.tftbelow.prefixer>"

Steve's suggestion shows that it can be done, so I ran this search
<https://www.google.com/search?q=android+prefix+dialer>
Which popped up a few potential workarounds, none of which I have tested.
For example, this says there are "two alternatives" to prefix dialer.
<https://alternativeto.net/software/prefix-dialer/>

They say the best alternative is free and open source but these may
only be for international calls for all I know (maybe, maybe not).
IntlPrefix automatically adds dialing prefix to outgoing phone calls.
<https://alternativeto.net/software/intlprefix/about/>
"What is IntlPrefix?
IntlPrefix automatically adds dialing prefix to outgoing phone calls.
This allows you to store all your phone numbers in international
"+country-area-number" form, and IntlPrefix will automatically
replace "+country" by the user-defined prefixes for domestic
and international calls when calling."

Clicking the links, it brings us to the source code, where I can't
compile it for you since I don't know how to do that (do you?).
<https://github.com/gdassieu/intlprefix>

NOTE: I have a thread on XDA asking how to compile source that is
intended to be compiled (built) by users - but nobody knows how.
<https://xdaforums.com/t/is-there-a-walk-thru-step-by-step-tutorial-yet-for-compiling-existing-real-android-foss-src-found-on-github-that-is-on-this-xda-developers-forum.4571127/>

If it existed, then maybe a copy exists? I do not know, but, what I do know
that "might" help is if we have a good keyword that is unique enough to the
need, we can use the Skyica App Finder to find that keyword in the
description.

Gory (and I mean gory!) details on how absolutely fantastically intensively
the Skyica App Finder looks for keywords will be found in this thread.
<https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-6-0-app-finder-the-most-advanced-search-engine-for-android-apps.4578809/>

But if you wish to skip all that technical gore, you can simply accept that
it's the best google play store repo search engine alive on this planet.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scadica.aq>

My advice is for you to choose as unique a keyword as you can think of,
and run a search for that keyword using regular expressions (which I'm sure
you're familiar with) such that you can narrow down the search better.

In addition, if (and only if) that doesn't work - you can almost certainly
do precisely what you want to do by perhaps two other methods which come to
my mind.

The first is you can build a shortcut to almost anything on Android, and
you can edit the shortcut intent (which passes the action to the phone app)
such that you can likely make a shortcut to each contact you call often -
yes - I know - it's not a general purpose solution.

Here's an example of intercepting & editing an intent - but it's for a
different purpose - in this case I was changing the open-with app...
<https://i.postimg.cc/FFfGnmkS/afp15.jpg>

If you want to know how to build shortcuts - I wrote a tutorial over here.
<https://xdaforums.com/t/tutorial-illustrated-mostly-privacy-based-one-tap-shortcuts-so-that-you-can-access-in-a-single-tap-any-buried-android-setting-or-app-activity.4625951/>

There are also apps designed to handle intents, but they're cryptic.
Instant Intent, by TrianguloY (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 4.7)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trianguloy.instantintent>

Intent Launcher, by Ville Valta (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 4.3)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.villevalta.intentlauncher>

Intent, by krow (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 3.9)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=krow.dev.scheme>

IntentTask, by Marco Stornelli (free, ad free, gsf free, rated 4.3)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.balda.intenttask>

Intent Viewer, by maigolab (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 2.1)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.maigo.lab.intentviewer>

Someday I'll figure out an interesting use of those utilities, where maybe
this adding of a telephone prefix might just be what I'd do - as the way
I'd envision it is this pseudocode.

a. You tap the shortcut for Murry Hill area code 201 (where AT&T was born)
b. It creates an intent which pre-feeds the "1-201" prefix to the intent
c. And then it sends that intent over to your default phone Activity

That way, as I see it, the phone Activity opens up to the prefed number,
and all you need to do is add the missing rest of the phone number.

BTW, I saw the suggestion to use your contacts but I'm sure you dismissed
it where I don't use contacts in my default messenger/phone/contacts apps
as I keep a contacts VCARD database separate from the sqlite database (that
every sleazy app loves to upload to its servers - that's why).

I populate the default sqlite database with contact garbage using this app.
<https://f-droid.org/packages/me.billdietrich.fake_contacts/>

I was actually planning (someday, when I get a round tuit) to create a
folder of one-tap shortcut phone calls to people I call frequently; but I
haven't done it (too many tutorials to write to help people use Android).

In addition to those two ideas (i.e., the app finder search is the best,
and a shortcut can be made to individual contacts), I'm pretty sure that
Android automation can come to the rescue.

Most people use Tasker for that purpose but it's not a free app.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm>

Hence I'd suggest Automate, which is free - but I haven't used it myself.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.llamalab.automate>

In summary, I do not know Android well enough to answer your question,
but I felt sorry that you didn't have any valid answers so I suggest
that as your last resort (other than a determined Google search), you
consider the various options above - but I do agree with you that a
ready-made app would be far better than the jury rigging I offered you.

If you have the skills to build the app from the github src, then
you can help me help others by writing the how to so that others
can follow in your footsteps.

Apologies for this being long as the ideas just pop into my head as I try
to solve problems (which is the way my Aspy mind has always worked).
--
I don't use the "OK Google" or "Hey Google" stuff, but maybe there's
something there also in terms of making phone calls (doubt it though).

[The Real Bev]

ANgeles when I was 5
CApitol when I was 6
HIllcrest when I was 10
ATlantic when I was 19
SYcamore when I was 20

From then on there were three area codes.


--
Cheers, Bev
You need only three tools: WD-40, duct tape and a hammer.
If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.
If it moves and shouldn't, use duct tape.
If you can't fix it with a hammer you've got an electrical problem.

[micky]

In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 6 Oct 2023 10:44:13 -0700, The Real Bev

Usenet is deep.

[micky]

In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 6 Oct 2023 10:46:23 -0700, The Real Bev

<bashl...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 10/6/23 7:50 AM, AJL wrote:
>> Stan Brown wrote:
>>
>>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
>>> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
>>> in my contacts list
>>
>>> and not in the 661 area code.
>>
>> Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>> this from Verizon:
>>
>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>> dial again, including the area code."
>
>That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
>talked out of it.

How does this change help them?

[The Real Bev]

No idea. People who weren't contemplating suicide would have no reason
to remember it. Nor would people who actually WERE thinking about it.
The only people who would need it would be people who want to be talked
out of it, which actually makes little sense. I can see "Please talk me
out of eating the second piece of chocolate cake", but that seems very
different. I think it's simply wanting to be seen as doing good in some
way, no matter how stupid.

>> Yet another solution in search of a problem.

Not even a solution, just a nuisance.


--
Cheers, Bev
Q: How many lawyers does it take to grease a combine?
A: One, if you feed him in real slow.

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-06 14:05, Stan Brown wrote:
> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
> in the 661 area code.
>
> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

The mobile phone system is designed assuming all numbers are entered
complete, including the international country code, for the reason that
a mobile phone is mobile, ie, it moves around, there is no guarantee it
has a certain area code.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Ken Blake]

It's already required for me here. I know nothing about the technology
that's involved, but it's very hard for me to imagine that there's a
good reason for this. It would seem to be very easy to automatically
prepend the calling number's area code if no area code was provided.

It was done that way for many years. Why the change?

[Stan Brown]

On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:
>
> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
> in the 661 area code.
>
> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

Thanks to those who replied (except those who felt the need to hate
on people who feel so low that they're contemplating suicide).

The consensus seems to be that there's no way to do it in native
Android. Whether there's an app to do it is a moot point, for my
purposes, because I wouldn't install an app just for that.

[AJL]

Ken Blake wrote:

> AJL <noe...@none.com> wrote:

>> local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>> this from Verizon:

>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone
>> number on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On
>> and after this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone
>> number, your calls will not complete and a recording will instruct
>> you to hang up and dial again, including the area code."


> It's already required for me here. I know nothing about the
> technology that's involved, but it's very hard for me to imagine that
> there's a good reason for this. It would seem to be very easy to
> automatically prepend the calling number's area code if no area code
> was provided.

> It was done that way for many years. Why the change?

Dunno. A quick search found:

"Why are we switching to 10-digit dialing?
Dialing both the area code and the seven-digit number was necessary to
ensure the call reached the intended recipient. As more area codes begin
to run out of new seven-digit numbers to assign, a second local area
code may be added, requiring that area to transition to 10-digit dialing."

Not sure that's the reason for my switch though.

Fortunately I haven't dialed my phone in weeks (thanks contacts) so it
probably won't be straining my finger too much...

[Andy Burns]

micky wrote:

> The Real Bev wrote:

>
>> AJL wrote:
>>
>>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>>> dial again, including the area code."
>>
>> That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
>> talked out of it.
>
> How does this change help them?

<https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ten-digit-dialing>

[Wally J]

Stan Brown <the_sta...@fastmail.fm> wrote

> The consensus seems to be that there's no way to do it in native
> Android. Whether there's an app to do it is a moot point, for my
> purposes, because I wouldn't install an app just for that.

Hi Stan,

I do not disagree with your assessment, at least with your hope that
there's something that everyone agrees works right now for what you want.

However... there are ways to get the apps that people said do the trick.
You just have to sideload them (as I recall). What's so bad about that?

Also...

Bear in mind "some" of the suggestions I made "should" work (e.g.,
intercepting the intent and sending it to the phone app) but I do very much
understand that you were hoping for a ready-made solution to the problem.

In summary, I haven't looked at this problem prior to your thread, but I
still would not say yet that "there's no way to do it" as there always is.

It's just that you might need to sideload an app or modify an intent.

[The Real Bev]

On 10/7/23 9:49 AM, Stan Brown wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:
>>
>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
>> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
>> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
>> in the 661 area code.
>>
>> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
>> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
>> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
>> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
>> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
>> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
>> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>>
>> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>> numerous apps of minor utility.
>
> Thanks to those who replied (except those who felt the need to hate
> on people who feel so low that they're contemplating suicide).

Not the people themselves, the Powers That Be who see fit to cause
millions of people trouble for NO PRACTICAL GOOD -- just feelgood stuff
for people who don't normally use their brains for anything but keeping
their ears separated.

Suicide is serious. Period.

> The consensus seems to be that there's no way to do it in native
> Android. Whether there's an app to do it is a moot point, for my
> purposes, because I wouldn't install an app just for that.

I may be mistaken about Ooma inserting numbers automatically; I thought
it was already required, but apparently not until next year. Never mind.


--
Cheers, Bev
______________________________________________________
"Parasites plus suckers do not add up to a community."
-- Thomas Sowell

[The Real Bev]

Now I know that the suicide prevention number is 988. I wonder if I'll
remember that when/if I have an actual need for it.

Do we have any statistics on the effectiveness of 988 vs the current 911
system? I found data about numbers of calls, but NOTHING about how
effective they are.

Effective = person decided to stay alive. What about repeat calls? Not
a really useful number, is it?

[Carlos E. R.]

No, it is not easy and safely done on mobiles.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Stan Brown]

On Sat, 7 Oct 2023 15:22:15 -0400, Wally J wrote:
>
> However... there are ways to get the apps that people said do the trick.
> You just have to sideload them (as I recall). What's so bad about that?

As I said in my original query:

> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

[AJL]

I did a little further looking. Turns out that running out of new
numbers is the reason for my Verizon switch. From the Verizon site in
its entirety. I'm 602. Don't feel required to read it all...

<https://www.verizon.com/support/residential/homephone/area-international-info/area-code-lookup>

Arizona 480/602/623 Area Code Overlay Effective September 12, 2023

To ensure a continuing supply of new telephone numbers in the Phoenix
metro area, the Arizona Corporation Commission has approved the
elimination of the area code boundaries between the 480, 602 and 623
area codes, creating a boundary elimination overlay so that all three
area codes serve the same geographic region.

What is a boundary elimination overlay?

The boundary elimination overlay for the Phoenix metro area means there
will no longer be boundary lines among the 480, 602 and 623 area codes,
and the three area codes all will serve the same combined geographic
region. The boundary elimination overlay does not require you to change
your existing area code or phone number, but will require you to include
the area code when dialing all calls, including local calls within the
same area code.

Who will be affected?

Anyone with a 480, 602 or 623 area code telephone number will be
affected. The 480, 602 and 623 area codes currently serve the Phoenix
metro area, which includes but is not limited to the communities of
Chandler, Deer Valley, Fort McDowell, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix,
Scottsdale, and Tempe. Once the boundary elimination overlay is
implemented, all three area codes will serve the same combined
geographic region.

What will be the new dialing procedure?

The new dialing procedure will require all calls from the 602 and 623
area codes that are currently dialed with seven digits to be dialed
using area code + telephone number. Since all calls from the 480 area
code already require dialing ten digits, anyone with a 480, 602 or 623
area code will now be required to include the area code when dialing
local calls.

When will the change begin?

Effective February 11, 2023, if you have a 602 or 623 area code you
should begin dialing the area code + telephone number whenever you place
a call. If you forget and dial just seven digits, your call will still
be completed.

Beginning August 12, 2023, if you have a 602 or 623 area code you must

dial the area code + telephone number on all calls, including calls
within the same area code. On and after this date, if you do not dial
the area code + telephone number, your calls will not complete and a
recording will instruct you to hang up and dial again, including the
area code.

Beginning September 12, 2023, the boundary lines among the 480, 602 and
623 area codes will be removed, and new telephone lines or services in
any of the former 480, 602 or 623 geographic regions may be assigned
numbers from any of the three area codes.

What will you need to do?

In addition to dialing the area code + telephone number for all local
calls, all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of
equipment that are programmed to dial a seven-digit number will need to
be reprogrammed to include the area code. Some examples are life safety
systems and medical monitoring devices, fire or burglar alarm and
security systems or gates, ankle monitors, PBXs, fax machines, Internet
dial-up numbers, stored numbers in mobile and cordless phone contact
lists, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services and
similar functions, etc. You should update your websites, personal and
business stationery and checks, advertising materials, personal and pet
ID tags and other such items to ensure the area code is included.

What will remain the same?

Your telephone number, including the current area code, will not
change.
The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services
will not change due to the boundary elimination overlay.
What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the
number of digits dialed.
You will continue to dial 1+10 digits for long distance calls.
You can still dial just three digits to reach 911 and 988, as well
as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or and 811.

[Nil]

On 06 Oct 2023, KenW
<ken...@invalid.net> wrote in comp.mobile.android:

> I was working as a telephone tech in New York City when area codes
> were added. To this day I still enter area codes even if not needed.

"If not needed"?? Lucky guy, you! Both my mobile and landline phones
REQUIRE and area code, even if I'm calling next door. Very annoying
when my landline phone doesn't record the area code if it's local, so
if I want to use the "redial" feature I have to edit the number to add
the area code. Grrrr...

[Nil]

On 06 Oct 2023, The Real Bev <bashl...@gmail.com> wrote in
comp.mobile.android:

> ANgeles when I was 5
> CApitol when I was 6
> HIllcrest when I was 10
> ATlantic when I was 19
> SYcamore when I was 20
>
> From then on there were three area codes.

OXbow for us in south L.A. county. Forever burnt into my brain.

[The Real Bev]

I remember all my phone numbers and addresses. I had to memorize the
first one before I could read.

--
Cheers, Bev
Sign on restroom hand-dryer:
"Push button for a message from your congressman."

[Wally J]

Stan Brown <the_sta...@fastmail.fm> wrote

> As I said in my original query:
>> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>> numerous apps of minor utility.

OK. Fair enough. Understood. Thanks for taking the time to reiterate.
Everyone has different tolerance levels for what they consider annoyances.

For me, I have almost a thousand apps installed, where I'm testing, always,
all the freeware apps suggested for any purpose, and then I delete those
that don't make the "one strike y're out!" acceptance criterion. :)

I won't be testing these area code dialers; but I think I'll ask on your
behalf on the XDA Developers' web site as learning is worthwhile in and of
itself, is it not.
<https://xdaforums.com/t/is-there-a-supported-free-app-extent-that-prepends-telephone-dialer-country-code-eg-1-area-code-eg-408-to-manually-dialed-local-phone-numbers.4634876/>

If something comes of that, I'll let you know as I hate it when someone
asks a question and the team can't provide a usable answer for them.
--
I'm on Usenet to learn from others and to help others; not amusement.

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 08.10.23 um 02:13 schrieb Nil:

And that happens how often? Who uses landline phones more than once in a
while? Usually the 10 of most used phone-# cover at least 90% of all
calls with average private users.

--
Ave! Morituri te salutant!

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 08.10.23 um 00:00 schrieb Carlos E. R.:

Americans live in a rather small world ... ;-)

[Andy Burns]

The Real Bev wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
>
>> <https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ten-digit-dialing>
>
> Now I know that the suicide prevention number is 988.  I wonder if I'll
> remember that when/if I have an actual need for it.
>
> Do we have any statistics on the effectiveness of 988 vs the current 911
> system?  I found data about numbers of calls, but NOTHING about how
> effective they are.
>
> Effective = person decided to stay alive.  What about repeat calls?  Not
> a really useful number, is it?

I don't know, I was just including a little info for us right-pondians
who may not keep up with the intricacies of the NANP

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 08.10.23 um 12:22 schrieb Andy Burns:

Right ponders?

I often wonder how nonmetric, nondecimal people and left-side drivers
can survive all the oddities of this world ...

[Carlos E. R.]

I would have replaced that phone decades ago, when we had to dial area
codes always (December 1997).

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[The Real Bev]

We've spent a lot of time, money and effort to figure out how to do
things efficiently. We actually PRIDE ourselves on it. This means we
get pissed off when somebody decides to make things more difficult/less
efficient for spurious reasons. Or even for possibly-sensible reasons.

I've heard that huge blocks of phone numbers are allocated to <entities>
who end up using very few of them and that it would be a good thing to
be able to claw back the unused numbers. In Los Angeles (maybe
elsewhere too) it was decided that cellphones would NOT be given a
separate prefix because that would engender some sort of
"discrimination". More spuriosity.

--
Cheers, Bev
"We've got some stupid people out there. This morning, I woke
up in a bathtub filled with ice and I had an extra kidney."

[The Real Bev]

We make everybody speak English. It all works out.

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 08.10.23 um 17:57 schrieb The Real Bev:

> On 10/8/23 3:30 AM, Jörg Lorenz wrote:
>> Right ponders?
>>
>> I often wonder how nonmetric, nondecimal people and left-side drivers
>> can survive all the oddities of this world ...
>
> We make everybody speak English. It all works out.

A language where not one single word is pronounced as it is written? I'd
prefer Français or - of course and selfexplaining - German.

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 08.10.23 um 17:55 schrieb The Real Bev:

> I've heard that huge blocks of phone numbers are allocated to <entities>
> who end up using very few of them and that it would be a good thing to
> be able to claw back the unused numbers. In Los Angeles (maybe
> elsewhere too) it was decided that cellphones would NOT be given a
> separate prefix because that would engender some sort of
> "discrimination". More spuriosity.

In Europe the telecoms or their regulators requested prefix/"area codes"
for mobile numbers. People can recognise whether a caller is using a
cellphone or not and which provider is used. Phone users in our part of
the world are used to enter area codes for all domestic calls and most
cellphone users enter the whole international number in their contact
lists/address books. The system uses only what it needs to connect. The
billing is also done correctly.

With the number portability possible thanks to IP-based telephony the
system becomes slightly diluted for landlines.

Some 40 years back or so in Switzerland the 6-digit local numbers were
blown up to 7-digit and then as Carlos already explained at the end of
the 90s IIRC the area code became mandatory in all of Europe AFAIK even
for local calls.

[Andy Burns]

Jörg Lorenz wrote:

> at the end of the 90s IIRC the area code became mandatory in all of
> Europe AFAIK even for local calls.

Not generally true in the UK even now (though there are some areas where
the full number must be dialled) from a mobile there's no such thing as
a local call.

[The Real Bev]

You're not looking at it the right way. We steal from everyone, and the
pronunciation is based on the original language. We have LOTS of German
words. German words follow the proper German ie/ei etc. pronunciation.
We can't deal with the umlaut-o thing unless we actually studied German
(6 weeks for me -- I decided I didn't want to deal with any more
declensions after a year of Latin). Sometimes we just can't tell.

BUT I suspect it doesn't matter any more than the complex intonation
structure of Mandarin -- which I TRIED to learn for a few weeks and gave
up because of the intonation -- google translate could only guess what I
was saying 10% of the time and the frustration level became intolerable.
BUT real Chinese people could figure out what I was saying just fine.

Perfectionists want to do it right, of course, but if you pronounce a
word wrong most people won't care and might feed you back the correct
pronunciation -- if THEY know it. People who sneer at the pronunciation
of foreigners (or natives) are rude and personally inadequate anyway!

We aren't taught foreign languages properly. It doesn't start until
high school, and public school teachers are NOT native speakers --
except for Spanish, of course. Sometimes, anyway. My French teachers
were both from Boston. Native Frenchpersons thought I was Dutch. I was
really good in high school, but I was aware that my "good" wasn't really
good enough -- although I could hold my own in Paris 20 years later.

Still, I am shamed by how well Europeans speak and write English while
we Americans are stuck with foreign guidebook-level expertise. Granted,
we don't really NEED to know foreign languages, but still...

[micky]

In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 8 Oct 2023 09:00:37 +0200, Jörg Lorenz

<hugy...@gmx.net> wrote:

>Am 08.10.23 um 02:13 schrieb Nil:
>> On 06 Oct 2023, KenW
>> <ken...@invalid.net> wrote in comp.mobile.android:
>>
>>> I was working as a telephone tech in New York City when area codes
>>> were added. To this day I still enter area codes even if not needed.
>>
>> "If not needed"?? Lucky guy, you! Both my mobile and landline phones
>> REQUIRE and area code, even if I'm calling next door. Very annoying
>> when my landline phone doesn't record the area code if it's local, so
>> if I want to use the "redial" feature I have to edit the number to add
>> the area code. Grrrr...
>
>And that happens how often? Who uses landline phones more than once in a

I use it every day. I only use the cell if I can't crawl back home.

Baltimore, all of Maryland, went to 10 digit phone numbers about 10
years ago. I didn't like it, but I got over it. Nil, try to get over
it.

The phone, the wired phone, has caller ID and if you're displaying an
entry, Speaker will dial the number. Not surprising. But what's
interesting is that some of the calls work, are dialed including the
area code, and some don't because caller ID didn't record the area code,
even though it was a call from within Baltimore. Aha, I went through my
last 20 calls and they listed area codes, but none were mine. So the
area code is required for dialing but doesn't get included in the
caller-id information that's sent when calling within the area!!
(Especially strange since Maryland has overlapping areas, two codes for
every place.) When they adjusted one, they should have adjusted the
other. Now I'm annoyed and I wasn't before. Darn.

[Newyana2]

"Stan Brown" <the_sta...@fastmail.fm> wrote

|
| Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
| that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
| digits and press the button to initiate call, they
| prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
| I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
| Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
| "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
|

What a great idea, and so simple. I'm surprised that all
phones don't offer it. I recently bought a new landline phone.
I still have to enter 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx. They give me an endless
choice of ringtones, but no setting like you describe. I replaced
the default blue phone app with the burnt orange one. A basic
dialer. It allows for speed dial numbers, but no prepending option.

[Bob Henson]

Forget all these other languages - here in England we would rather you
concentrated on coping with real English. You know the sort of thing -
putting the "u" in colour and pronouncing the second "i" in aluminium. I
keep writing to the computer game writers and reminding them that "howdy"
is not a vaguely an English word but they don't listen.

I do speak a bit of Brooklyn, though.

Spring has sprung, da grass is riz,
I wonder where da boidies iz
The boid iz on de wing,
But dat’s absoid
From what I hoid
De wing iz on de liddle boid!

How was that? Did I sound good?

--
Bob
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England

Karaoke is Japanese for tone-deaf!

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 08.10.23 um 19:51 schrieb Bob Henson:

I love your post!

[candycanearter07]

On 10/8/23 12:10, The Real Bev wrote:
> People who sneer at the pronunciation
> of foreigners (or natives) are rude and personally inadequate anyway!

People who do that probably see themself superior for only knowing English.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

[The Real Bev]

Most excellent! My mom's version:

'Tis spring, 'tis spring,
De liddle boids am on de wing
Ain't dat absoid?
De liddle wings am on de boid!

Neither of us had any idea about the dialect, other than 'dopey'.

Hands across the sea...


--
Cheers, Bev
"We're so far beyond fucked we couldn't even catch a bus
back to fucked." --Scott en Aztlan

[sms]

On 10/8/2023 12:19 PM, micky wrote:

<snip>

> Baltimore, all of Maryland, went to 10 digit phone numbers about 10
> years ago. I didn't like it, but I got over it. Nil, try to get over
> it.

One reason for requiring ten-digit dialing even within the same area
code is political. There is resentment when someone gets a new number
that is in a new area code that they had to dial ten digits to reach
someone in the old area code but those with numbers in the old area code
don’t have to dial the area code. Silly, but true.

When I first moved to California you could call between area codes 415
and 408 without entering the area code for certain prefixes. There were
no duplicate seven digit numbers with the same prefix in a large area
even though 408 was added in 1959. Then later you had to dial the area
code but you didn’t have to dial 1. Then it all went to 1+area
code+seven digits.

If you have your own ATA like an Ooma or an Obi you can program it to
append an area code when you dial a seven digit number.

Back in the olden days, or rotary phones, I can see why dialing three
extra digits was an issue, but now it's just something for retrogrouches
to complain about.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-09 20:53, sms wrote:
> On 10/8/2023 12:19 PM, micky wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>> Baltimore, all of Maryland, went to 10 digit phone numbers about 10
>> years ago. I didn't like it, but I got over it.  Nil, try to get over
>> it.
>
> One reason for requiring ten-digit dialing even within the same area
> code is political.

On mobiles, no, there isn't. Remember that this is a mobile phone group.

Mobiles are designed to work with the full international number.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[sms]

That is true.

Samsung used to have a feature called "Auto Area Code" which would
append an area code, and/or a country code, onto a number. It was under
"assisted dialing." See
<https://www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-211828/>. It was not a
stock Android feature.

[Stan Brown]

On Mon, 9 Oct 2023 21:32:00 +0200, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> Mobiles are designed to work with the full international number.
>

Yet we don't have to dial +1 when making calls within the US.

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

[Andy Burns]

Stan Brown wrote:

> Carlos E. R. wrote:
>
>> Mobiles are designed to work with the full international number.
>
> Yet we don't have to dial +1 when making calls within the US.

And strangely, we can omit +44 within the UK, or +34 within Spain ...

[Stan Brown]

So if phones are smart enough to handle country codes,
it seems a pity that they can't handle area codes.

I suspect the reason is that doing so would be easy in
sparsely populated areas, where an area code covers a
large territory and no territory is served by two area
codes. But programmers tend to be in urban or suburban
regions where area codes cover smaller amounts of
ground, and often multiple codes are overlaid on the
same patch of ground.

[sms]

On 10/9/2023 6:06 PM, Stan Brown wrote:
> On Mon, 9 Oct 2023 21:32:00 +0200, Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> Mobiles are designed to work with the full international number.
>>
>
> Yet we don't have to dial +1 when making calls within the US.

The system is smart enough to know that when dialing a number from a
U.S. number, when within the U.S., to another U.S. number, to know how
to place the call without a 1, +1, or 011. I suspect that the same thing
is true in other countries.

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-09 21:50, sms wrote:
> On 10/9/2023 2:32 PM, Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> On 2023-10-09 20:53, sms wrote:
>>> On 10/8/2023 12:19 PM, micky wrote:
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>>> Baltimore, all of Maryland, went to 10 digit phone numbers about 10
>>>> years ago. I didn't like it, but I got over it.  Nil, try to get over
>>>> it.
>>>
>>> One reason for requiring ten-digit dialing even within the same area
>>> code is political.
>>
>> On mobiles, no, there isn't. Remember that this is a mobile phone group.
>>
>> Mobiles are designed to work with the full international number.
>
> That is true.
>
> Samsung used to have a feature called "Auto Area Code" which would
> append an area code, and/or a country code, onto a number. It was under
> "assisted dialing." See
> <https://www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-211828/>. It was not a
> stock Android feature.

Those features are tricky. When the user changes zone, even momentarily,
the feature breaks producing wrong numbers or other unexpected results.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Carlos E. R.]

The network provider can make the proper assumption. Travel and plug in
a different SIM, and you can be in trouble.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Frank Slootweg]

The Real Bev <bashl...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 10/7/23 11:01 AM, Andy Burns wrote:

> > micky wrote:
> >
> >> The Real Bev wrote:
> >>

> >>> AJL wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
> >>>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
> >>>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
> >>>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
> >>>> dial again, including the area code."
> >>>
> >>> That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
> >>> talked out of it.
> >>
> >> How does this change help them?

> >
> > <https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ten-digit-dialing>
>
> Now I know that the suicide prevention number is 988. I wonder if I'll
> remember that when/if I have an actual need for it.
>
> Do we have any statistics on the effectiveness of 988 vs the current 911
> system? I found data about numbers of calls, but NOTHING about how
> effective they are.
>
> Effective = person decided to stay alive. What about repeat calls? Not
> a really useful number, is it?

In our country (NL) the suicide prevention number is 113. Our
emergency number (probably also in most of the EU) is 112, so 113 is
already somewhat easy to remember.

The number is also heavily publicized. Anything even remotely related
to (a) suicide, will include a message pointing to the 113 number.

[Frank Slootweg]

But then you probably have to prepend a zero ('0'). (At least that's
the case in The Netherlands.)

So we can prepend 0 and have it work some of the time or prepend
+<country_code> and have it work all of the time. Let's use the former,
we can't have things working all of the time, can we!?

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-10 05:46, Stan Brown wrote:
> On Tue, 10 Oct 2023 01:38:55 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:
>>
>> Stan Brown wrote:
>>
>>> Carlos E. R. wrote:
>>>
>>>> Mobiles are designed to work with the full international number.
>>>
>>> Yet we don't have to dial +1 when making calls within the US.
>>
>> And strangely, we can omit +44 within the UK, or +34 within Spain ...
>
> So if phones are smart enough to handle country codes,
> it seems a pity that they can't handle area codes.

It is not the phone, it is the network. The network can safely assume
that all clients will have the same country code.

Yet, trouble can happen when you get calls from an area code that
matches a country code.

For example, 214 123456

Where is that phone? Texas, (Dallas)? Or Dominican Republic?

That trick is used for scams.

>
> I suspect the reason is that doing so would be easy in
> sparsely populated areas, where an area code covers a
> large territory and no territory is served by two area
> codes. But programmers tend to be in urban or suburban
> regions where area codes cover smaller amounts of
> ground, and often multiple codes are overlaid on the
> same patch of ground.
>

--

Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Frank Slootweg]

Jörg Lorenz <hugy...@gmx.net> wrote:
[...]

> Some 40 years back or so in Switzerland the 6-digit local numbers were
> blown up to 7-digit and then as Carlos already explained at the end of
> the 90s IIRC the area code became mandatory in all of Europe AFAIK even
> for local calls.

In The Netherlands we can still leave off the area code on calls from
landlines. But I normally use it anyway.

Like in your country, nearly 30 years ago we increased the size of a
phone number to 10 digits (including 3 or 4 digit area code).

'Operatie Decibel'
<https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operatie_Decibel>

As to the US 'system', ... <firmly sitting on hands>

[AJL]

On 10/10/2023 7:59 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

> As to the US [phone number] 'system', ... <firmly sitting on hands>

We're tough over here. We don't mind giving the phone (and the phone
company) the finger a few extra times...

[candycanearter07]

On 10/10/23 09:34, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> Those features are tricky. When the user changes zone, even momentarily,
> the feature breaks producing wrong numbers or other unexpected results.

Isn't like GPS only accurate to like a mile? If you were on the border,
it would probably go all wonky.

[candycanearter07]

On 10/10/23 09:44, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> For example, 214 123456
>
> Where is that phone? Texas, (Dallas)? Or Dominican Republic?
>
> That trick is used for scams.

Isn't it too short for a phone number? There's only 9 digits.

[The Real Bev]

On 10/11/23 5:48 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
> On 10/10/23 09:34, Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> Those features are tricky. When the user changes zone, even momentarily,
>> the feature breaks producing wrong numbers or other unexpected results.
>
> Isn't like GPS only accurate to like a mile? If you were on the border,
> it would probably go all wonky.

In 1995 it was a few feet when SA was off.

I was in Mexico within feet of the US border a few years ago and I
couldn't make a call with my US-only phone. No idea if that was a phone
or GPS function.


--
Cheers, Bev
Cthulhu for President in 2024. Why vote for a lesser evil?

[AJL]

The Real Bev wrote:

> I was in Mexico within feet of the US border a few years ago and I
> couldn't make a call with my US-only phone. No idea if that was a
> phone or GPS function.

When I'm traveling on Interstate 10 near the Mexican border my phone
will sometimes say 'Welcome to Mexico'. Apparently I'm hooking to a
Mexican tower. I don't make any calls while in the area since my plan
only covers the US and don't want any surprise bills...

[AJL]

Correct the above to Interstate 8...

[The Real Bev]

We had a lot of dental work done in Algodones. Shorter drive, but
longer walk to Tijuana. Algodones is nicer, though.


--
Cheers, Bev
"I'm sorry I ever invented the Electoral College."
Al Gore 11/08/00

[Frank Slootweg]

The Real Bev <bashl...@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 10/11/23 5:48 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
> > On 10/10/23 09:34, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> >> Those features are tricky. When the user changes zone, even momentarily,
> >> the feature breaks producing wrong numbers or other unexpected results.
> >
> > Isn't like GPS only accurate to like a mile? If you were on the border,
> > it would probably go all wonky.
>
> In 1995 it was a few feet when SA was off.
>
> I was in Mexico within feet of the US border a few years ago and I
> couldn't make a call with my US-only phone. No idea if that was a phone
> or GPS function.

This issue has nothing to do with GPS. GPS is off, unless some app
turns it on. And the phone call (and SMS) part of a smartphone doesn't
use the GPS part.

It only matters to which tower your phone is currently connected, one
in the US or one in Mexico.

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-12 02:48, candycanearter07 wrote:
> On 10/10/23 09:34, Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> Those features are tricky. When the user changes zone, even
>> momentarily, the feature breaks producing wrong numbers or other
>> unexpected results.
>
> Isn't like GPS only accurate to like a mile? If you were on the border,
> it would probably go all wonky.

Different thing.

Accuracy of GPS varies, can go to centimetres. Depends on many things,
even how much you pay. But not being on the border, that doesn't matter,
the satellites know no boundaries.

However, the provider when you are near the border can switch, if the
tower at the other side happens to be stronger than on your side.


--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-12 02:50, candycanearter07 wrote:
> On 10/10/23 09:44, Carlos E. R. wrote:
>> For example, 214 123456
>>
>> Where is that phone? Texas, (Dallas)? Or Dominican Republic?
>>
>> That trick is used for scams.
>
> Isn't it too short for a phone number? There's only 9 digits.

I invented a number :-)

I don't know how many digits are used in Texas or Dominican Republic.
The local part of the number is fully invented, the area code or country
code are real.

The way the system works, if you dial "214 123456", as soon as the
system thinks the number is complete for the assumed country/area, it
will complete the circuit. The result may not be what you want, though :-)

Thus, if for example "999" in both countries is emergencies and you dial:

214 999 1234

you will get emergencies in one of the countries and the "1234" is
ignored. You don't get "wrong number" error.


More or less :-D

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[candycanearter07]

On 10/12/23 10:30, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> It only matters to which tower your phone is currently connected, one
> in the US or one in Mexico.

That makes more sense.

[candycanearter07]

On 10/12/23 11:14, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> I invented a number :-)
>
> I don't know how many digits are used in Texas or Dominican Republic.
> The local part of the number is fully invented, the area code or country
> code are real.
>

US numbers use 10 digits, 3 for area code and 7 for subdomain. But, fair
enough that the number doesn't matter.

[Nil]

On 08 Oct 2023, =?UTF-8?Q?J=C3=B6rg_Lorenz?= <hugy...@gmx.net>
wrote in comp.mobile.android:

> Am 08.10.23 um 02:13 schrieb Nil:
>>
>> "If not needed"?? Lucky guy, you! Both my mobile and landline
>> phones REQUIRE and area code, even if I'm calling next door. Very
>> annoying when my landline phone doesn't record the area code if
>> it's local, so if I want to use the "redial" feature I have to
>> edit the number to add the area code. Grrrr...
>
> And that happens how often? Who uses landline phones more than
> once in a while?

It happens all the time. I use my landline every day.

> Usually the 10 of most used phone-# cover at
> least 90% of all calls with average private users.

I have no idea what you're trying but failing to express here, but I'm
quite sure it's irrelevant to me.

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 17.10.23 um 03:39 schrieb Nil:

> On 08 Oct 2023, =?UTF-8?Q?J=C3=B6rg_Lorenz?= <hugy...@gmx.net>
> wrote in comp.mobile.android:
>
>> Am 08.10.23 um 02:13 schrieb Nil:
>>>
>>> "If not needed"?? Lucky guy, you! Both my mobile and landline
>>> phones REQUIRE and area code, even if I'm calling next door. Very
>>> annoying when my landline phone doesn't record the area code if
>>> it's local, so if I want to use the "redial" feature I have to
>>> edit the number to add the area code. Grrrr...
>>
>> And that happens how often? Who uses landline phones more than
>> once in a while?
>
> It happens all the time. I use my landline every day.

Oldie but goldie?

>> Usually the 10 of most used phone-# cover at
>> least 90% of all calls with average private users.
>
> I have no idea what you're trying but failing to express here, but I'm
> quite sure it's irrelevant to me.

That is irrelevant to the world with certainty. And it is obvious that
you do not understand the subthread.

--
De gustibus non est disputandum

[AJL]

Jörg Lorenz wrote:
> schrieb Nil:

>> I use my landline every day.

> Oldie but goldie?

I got rid of my landline awhile back. When I use WiFi calling on my cell
I really can't tell the difference in quality so why have 2 bills? And
isn't a cell phone using WiFi calling really a landline (cable for me)
phone anyway...

[sms]

On 10/16/2023 6:39 PM, Nil wrote:

<snip>

> I have no idea what you're trying but failing to express here, but I'm
> quite sure it's irrelevant to me.

"I don't use a landline and since everyone else in the world should be
just like me then they should not be using a landline either."

The reality is that in much of the world landlines are still being used
though many are now VOIP via an ATA connected to broadband.

I have an ATA (Polycom Obi) that has my old landline number on Google
Voice so the analog phones in my house can still be used. There is no
cost other than optional E911 service at $18 per year.

There actually is a reason to keep a landline, at least in the U.S., if
you have small children or the elderly in your house.

On my Obi device you can program it to automatically add an area code so
you can dial only the seven digit number.

[sms]

Not sure what country you're in, but in the U.S. I ported my old
landline number to Google Voice and now have the number as a Google
Voice line on my Polycom/Obi ATA and there is no cost. Pretty soon, Obi
will stop activating new Google Voice service, though the service will
continue to work with existing Obi devices unless Google makes some
drastic change to Google Voice.

Google Voice does not support E911 service. If you want E911 service you
have to add that separately from Google Voice and it is $18 per year.

Ooma charges about $7 per month in taxes and fees for their "free" phone
service.

There are reasons unrelated to call quality to have a landline.

[candycanearter07]

On 10/17/23 11:53, sms wrote:
> Google Voice does not support E911 service. If you want E911 service you
> have to add that separately from Google Voice and it is $18 per year.

Bit mean to need a subscription to 911?

[AJL]

On 10/17/2023 9:26 AM, sms wrote:

> There actually is a reason to keep a landline, at least in the U.S.,
> if you have small children

Most of my great-grandkids old enough to dial a phone have their own
cell. I think parents see it as a safety factor.

> or the elderly in your house.

I (we) are the elderly. We can still dial a cell phone but seldom do
cause most of our calls are on the contact list. And of course both our
phones are hooked to the WiFi (landline/cable) calling feature.

[AJL]

On 10/17/2023 9:53 AM, sms wrote:
> On 10/17/2023 8:48 AM, AJL wrote:

>> I got rid of my landline awhile back. When I use WiFi calling on
>> my cell I really can't tell the difference in quality so why have
>> 2 bills? And isn't a cell phone using WiFi calling really a
>> landline (cable for me) phone anyway...
>
> Not sure what country you're in, but in the U.S. I ported my old
> landline number to Google Voice and now have the number as a Google
> Voice line on my Polycom/Obi ATA and there is no cost.

I used Google voice awhile back. Probably still has my phone number
though maybe not because of non-use. But I stopped using it then and
don't need it now, free or not...

> There are reasons unrelated to call quality to have a landline.

Perhaps, I just can't think of any reasons for me to have one. But as
you correctly pointed out, YMMV...

[Chris]

That 90% of calls are made to a person's 10 most frequent contacts.

[Wally J]

AJL <noe...@none.com> wrote

>> Not sure what country you're in, but in the U.S. I ported my old
>> landline number to Google Voice and now have the number as a Google
>> Voice line on my Polycom/Obi ATA and there is no cost.
>
> I used Google voice awhile back. Probably still has my phone number
> though maybe not because of non-use. But I stopped using it then and
> don't need it now, free or not...

Hi AJL,

I use Google Voice (but only on the iPad - because on Android it creates a
Google Account on the phone without ever asking you if it could do that).

If you don't use it after a while (a few years as I recall), it will ask
you to log in and confirm you still want it. Otherwise it gets deleted.

I set up a Google Voice account with sequential phone numbers for many of
my relatives so you can ask me how I know that it is deleted if not used.
--
The whole point of Usenet is to find people who know more than you do.
And to contribute to the overall tribal knowledge value of the newsgroup.

[Wally J]

Chris <ithi...@gmail.com> wrote

>> I have no idea what you're trying but failing to express here,
>
> That 90% of calls are made to a person's 10 most frequent contacts.

Hi Chris,
You brought up an excellent point which applies to me, and which applies
to privacy since I too only make most of my calls to fewer than a dozen.

We're not young brats in high school - we're kind of set in our ways.

For me, I don't have a contacts.sqlite default database (well, I do, but
it's poisoned by the Fake Contacts app) so my apps have their own contacts.

I simply keep a vcard file handy with my "real" contacts in it.
Then I import/export as needed into the messenger & dialer.

I haven't honed the system yet though, as incoming calls tend to not get
recognized since they're never in the default contacts.sqlite database.

That problem doesn't happen with the messenger (where I use the last
known good version of PulseSMS) since the messenger can edit the contact.

Once I fully hone the private contacts methodology, I'll write a tutorial.
These are the tools I'm currently experimenting with to create that method.

These are the contacts-management apps I'm testing out for that tutorial
(every app below is free, ad free, and google spyware free, as usual).

Easy Contacts Cleaner by LSM Apps
"Merge all duplicate contacts with one tap."
4.7 star 91.6K reviews 1M+ Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simpler.merge>

SMS Import / Export
Imports and exports SMS and MMS messages, call logs, and contacts.
<https://f-droid.org/packages/com.github.tmo1.sms_ie/>

Contacts Import
Import your CSV contacts from a desktop client without any cloud syncing.
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.stargw.contactsimport/>

Export Contacts
Export contacts to a file
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/am.ed.exportcontacts/>

Import Contacts
Restore contacts from a file
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/am.ed.importcontacts/>

Fake Contacts
Create fake phone contacts, for data-poisoning.
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/me.billdietrich.fake_contacts/>

SD Contacts
Automatically store your contacts to your SD card
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/cx.vmx.sdcontacts/>

Contact Book
Manage your contacts in a local addressbook
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.hskl.contacts/>

Contact Diary by Dieter Thiess
"Keep a privacy friendly log of your contacts"
10K+ Downloads Content rating Everyone
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.dieterthiess.contactdiary2>

These are the apps I'm testing out for contacts privacy.

OpenContacts
A different database for contacts to keep them private only to you.
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/opencontacts.open.com.opencontacts/>

True Contacts
"True contacts are good for Local Sync and all apps that create contacts accounts"
<http://www.psencik.cz/true-contacts>
<http://www.psencik.cz/file-cabinet/true-contacts-6.apk>
The Google Play Store repository copy is deprecated by the developer himself.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.psencik.com.android.contacts>

Private Contacts by 2Gusoft
"Improve the privacy of your contacts by defining which should be shared
with other apps and which should remain private (secret)."
5K+ Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.abwesend.privatecontacts>

Private Contacts by Blueline Studio
50+ Downloads
"Private Contacts isolates your contacts from rest of the applications on your phone"
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ml.bluelinestudio.privatecontact>

Private Contacts - Private Call & SMS on Windows Pc
Private Contacts is a fantastic privacy protection app designed to hide your private contacts, messages and call logs on your phone.
<https://apkpure.com/private-contacts-private-call-sms/hazar.studio.privatecontacts>
<https://appsonwindows.com/apk/2426789/>
<https://download.appsonwindows.com/download/hazar.studio.privatecontacts-v1.2.9-appsonwindows.com.apk>
<??? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.abwesend.privatecontacts>

Favorite Contacts
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sec.android.widgetapp.easymodecontactswidget>

Contacts Storage
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.android.providers.contacts>

Contacts
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.android.app.contacts>

Contacts
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goodwy.contacts>

Contacts (extended simple mobile tools)
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.ritscher.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro/>

Contacts (simple mobile tools)
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro/>
<https://bytehamster.gitlab.io/fdroid-website/en/packages/com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplemobiletools.contacts.pro>

I doubt anyone on this newsgroup knows more than I do about this topic,
but if you do know more than I do, please advise as this is hard to do.

And yes, I asked this on XDA but they don't know any more than I do either.
Still - I'm hoping to find someone who can help me create this methodology.

It's not easy because marketing wants your contacts.

[Wally J]

sms <scharf...@geemail.com> wrote

> Ooma charges about $7 per month in taxes and fees for their "free" phone
> service.

What I did was look up the location with the cheapest taxes (I think it was
somewhere in Kansas?) when I first set up Ooma to pay for that tax.

[Wally J]

sms <scharf...@geemail.com> wrote

> The reality is that in much of the world landlines are still being used
> though many are now VOIP via an ATA connected to broadband.

The moment they tax something - they start the landslide to killing it off.

I had a Verizon landline (before Frontier took it over) and at some point,
when the taxes & fees were more than half the bill, I dropped it.

It's criminal how much taxes and fees are paid on something that simple.
The California Public Utilities Commission raped the phone line to death.

They tried raping texting to death also - but the FCC wouldn't let them.
(They even pulled the stunt of retroactive taxes going back five years!).

[candycanearter07]

On 10/17/23 13:02, Wally J wrote:
> I use Google Voice (but only on the iPad - because on Android it creates a
> Google Account on the phone without ever asking you if it could do that).

How does it get your name and what email format does it create? What
happens if you delete the account manually?

> If you don't use it after a while (a few years as I recall), it will ask
> you to log in and confirm you still want it. Otherwise it gets deleted.

Well then, my voice account is long gone

[candycanearter07]

On 10/17/23 13:10, Wally J wrote:
> It's not easy because marketing wants your contacts.

And everything else.

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-17 18:26, sms wrote:
> On 10/16/2023 6:39 PM, Nil wrote:
>
> <snip>
>
>> I have no idea what you're trying but failing to express here, but I'm
>> quite sure it's irrelevant to me.
>
> "I don't use a landline and since everyone else in the world should be
> just like me then they should not be using a landline either."
>
> The reality is that in much of the world landlines are still being used
> though many are now VOIP via an ATA connected to broadband.

Like me.

I have a landline because the ISP says that if you want internet you
need a phone line. It is not true, of course, but if you want a major
internet access provider it comes with a phone "line" (in this country).

Interestingly, the second name (Lowi) of one of those major providers
(vodafone) does allow to have internet with no phone number, with
exactly the same hardware as the first name.

And anyway, being the same number as my parents had means that anybody
that still has that old number in the phone book can call me.

And I fear that if I drop the number at some point, they will also drop
some features I have, like several mail addresses. Commercial reasons of
them. Changing an email address you have used for two decades is a major
undertaking.

>
> I have an ATA (Polycom Obi) that has my old landline number on Google
> Voice so the analog phones in my house can still be used. There is no
> cost other than optional E911 service at $18 per year.
>
> There actually is a reason to keep a landline, at least in the U.S., if
> you have small children or the elderly in your house.

I have at least one old neighbour that not handle a mobile phone. A
plain one perhaps, not a smart one for certain.

>
> On my Obi device you can program it to automatically add an area code so
> you can dial only the seven digit number.
>

--

Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Jörg Lorenz]

Am 17.10.23 um 17:48 schrieb AJL:

Exactly.

--
Alea iacta est

[Wally J]

candycanearter07 <n...@thanks.net> wrote

>> It's not easy because marketing wants your contacts.
>
> And everything else.

While that's true, the problem with Android is most people are stupid.
The related problem is they do EXACTLY what Marketing wants them to do.
Because they're stupid.

Anyway, I'm trying to not be stupid by coming up with a simple methodology
where my default contacts.sqlite database is poisoned with bad data.

Then marketing can do whatever it is that they do with the contacts db.
https://f-droid.org/packages/me.billdietrich.fake_contacts/

At the same time, if I see those contacts show up in an app, I know it is
accessing the default contacts.sqlite database; so it serves both purposes.

Meanwhile, I have to find a good set of apps that manage their own contacts
where I think the only apps that really need the contacts database are

1. Contacts app
2. Outgoing Dialer app
3. Incoming Dialer app
4. Messenger app
5. VOIP apps

The VOIP and messenger apps are pretty easy to maintain outside the
contacts.sqlite database because they usually allow manual edits.

The contacts app is also pretty easy to maintain since there are a few
private contacts apps (which I'm testing) that import/export vcard files
(and then they store the contacts locally inside the app itself).

The problem is the dialer app.
Specifically incoming calls for the dialer app.

You want the name of the contact to show up on an incoming call.
That's really the main problem that I'm trying to solve with the setup.

Once I get that ironed out, the rest (I think) will be pretty easy to do.

[candycanearter07]

On 10/17/23 22:03, Wally J wrote:
> While that's true, the problem with Android is most people are stupid.
> The related problem is they do EXACTLY what Marketing wants them to do.
> Because they're stupid.

In my opinion, it's less being stupid and more a simple "path of least
resistance" issue. Most people aren't tech literate, and just use what
works. Contacts works "well", and the consequences aren't directly
visible, so they use that. Why would they go out of their way to create
a whole system to avoid something they don't care about and can't see?

[Ken Blake]

On Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:26:08 -0700, sms <scharf...@geemail.com>
wrote:

>On my Obi device you can program it to automatically add an area code so
>you can dial only the seven digit number.

Which OBI device do you have? I have an OBI100. Can I do that on mine?
How?

If you do that, what happens when you want to make calls that aren't
local and a different area code is required?

[Frank Slootweg]

Carlos E. R. <robin_...@es.invalid> wrote:
[...]

> I have a landline because the ISP says that if you want internet you
> need a phone line. It is not true, of course, but if you want a major
> internet access provider it comes with a phone "line" (in this country).

[...]

> And anyway, being the same number as my parents had means that anybody
> that still has that old number in the phone book can call me.
>
> And I fear that if I drop the number at some point, they will also drop
> some features I have, like several mail addresses. Commercial reasons of
> them. Changing an email address you have used for two decades is a major
> undertaking.

My e-mail address is even much older than that, probably close to four
decades (yes, pre-WWW and even pre-(public)Internet).

That's why I still pay that MSP (Mail Service Provider) for our two
(sets of) e-mail addresses. (Yes, I've moved to another *I*SP, but as
you say, moving to another *M*SP is near impossible.)

[...]

> I have at least one old neighbour that not handle a mobile phone. A
> plain one perhaps, not a smart one for certain.

Well, I'm not *that* old (I think :-), but I can't handle a mobile
phone either! (Just kidding! (Am I!?))

[AJL]

Frank Slootweg wrote:

> Carlos E. R. wrote:

>> I have a landline because the ISP says that if you want internet
>> you need a phone line. It is not true, of course, but if you want a
>> major internet access provider it comes with a phone "line" (in

>> this country). And anyway, being the same number as my parents had

>> means that anybody that still has that old number in the phone book
>> can call me. And I fear that if I drop the number at some point,
>> they will also drop some features I have, like several mail
>> addresses. Commercial reasons of them. Changing an email address
>> you have used for two decades is a major undertaking.

> My e-mail address is even much older than that, probably close to
> four decades (yes, pre-WWW and even pre-(public)Internet).

> That's why I still pay that MSP (Mail Service Provider) for our two
> (sets of) e-mail addresses. (Yes, I've moved to another *I*SP, but
> as you say, moving to another *M*SP is near impossible.)

Yup. Moving to a new ISP is like moving to a new house if you use their
email system. Everybody has to be advised of the new address. PITA.
That's why I started using Gmail addresses years ago...

>> I have at least one old neighbour that not handle a mobile phone. A
>> plain one perhaps, not a smart one for certain.

> Well, I'm not *that* old (I think :-), but I can't handle a mobile
> phone either! (Just kidding! (Am I!?))

That's what grandkids are for. When the SO has a problem with her iPhone
I usually don't have a clue. So she gets a grandkid to fix it...

[Frank Slootweg]

AJL <noe...@none.com> wrote:
> Frank Slootweg wrote:
> > Carlos E. R. wrote:
>
> >> I have a landline because the ISP says that if you want internet
> >> you need a phone line. It is not true, of course, but if you want a
> >> major internet access provider it comes with a phone "line" (in
> >> this country). And anyway, being the same number as my parents had
> >> means that anybody that still has that old number in the phone book
> >> can call me. And I fear that if I drop the number at some point,
> >> they will also drop some features I have, like several mail
> >> addresses. Commercial reasons of them. Changing an email address
> >> you have used for two decades is a major undertaking.
>
> > My e-mail address is even much older than that, probably close to
> > four decades (yes, pre-WWW and even pre-(public)Internet).
>
> > That's why I still pay that MSP (Mail Service Provider) for our two
> > (sets of) e-mail addresses. (Yes, I've moved to another *I*SP, but
> > as you say, moving to another *M*SP is near impossible.)
>
> Yup. Moving to a new ISP is like moving to a new house if you use their
> email system. Everybody has to be advised of the new address. PITA.
> That's why I started using Gmail addresses years ago...

Yes, I also have several Gmail addresses, but as I said, our main/old
addresses predate the web/Internet and hence Gmail. An even earlier
address is in printed books. A tad hard to change those! :-)

> >> I have at least one old neighbour that not handle a mobile phone. A
> >> plain one perhaps, not a smart one for certain.
>
> > Well, I'm not *that* old (I think :-), but I can't handle a mobile
> > phone either! (Just kidding! (Am I!?))
>
> That's what grandkids are for. When the SO has a problem with her iPhone
> I usually don't have a clue. So she gets a grandkid to fix it...

Well my grandkids have iPhones, so they're of no help to me! :-) But
to be fair, they *could* help their grandma with her Android phone,
while this granddad was in the US.

[Carlos E. R.]

On 2023-10-18 17:37, AJL wrote:
> Frank Slootweg wrote:
>> Carlos E. R. wrote:
>
>>> I have a landline because the ISP says that if you want internet
>>> you need a phone line. It is not true, of course, but if you want a
>>> major internet access provider it comes with a phone "line" (in
>>> this country). And anyway, being the same number as my parents had
>>> means that anybody that still has that old number in the phone book
>>> can call me. And I fear that if I drop the number at some point,
>>> they will also drop some features I have, like several mail
>>> addresses. Commercial reasons of them. Changing an email address
>>> you have used for two decades is a major undertaking.
>
>> My e-mail address is even much older than that, probably close to
>> four decades (yes, pre-WWW and even pre-(public)Internet).
>
>> That's why I still pay that MSP (Mail Service Provider) for our two
>> (sets of) e-mail addresses. (Yes, I've moved to another *I*SP, but
>> as you say, moving to another *M*SP is near impossible.)
>
> Yup. Moving to a new ISP is like moving to a new house if you use their
> email system. Everybody has to be advised of the new address. PITA.
> That's why I started using Gmail addresses years ago...

Yes, in fact my *M*SP no longer accepts new mails, tells client to use
gmail or any other. Since several years, maybe a decade. But they keep
the service for those clients that got it long ago.

>
>>> I have at least one old neighbour that not handle a mobile phone. A
>>> plain one perhaps, not a smart one for certain.
>
>> Well, I'm not *that* old (I think :-), but I can't handle a mobile
>> phone either! (Just kidding! (Am I!?))
>
> That's what grandkids are for. When the SO has a problem with her iPhone
> I usually don't have a clue. So she gets a grandkid to fix it...

Yes, but at least those old people can call the grandkids. There are
people that can't even start a call or answer a call on a smartphone. It
just happens.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

[Frank Slootweg]

AJL <noe...@none.com> wrote:

> User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; WOW64; rv:45.0) Gecko/20100101
> Thunderbird/45.0

$DRIFT ON

Does that ("20100101" and "45.0") indeed indicate that you've frozen
Thunderbird at an (very) old version?

If so, good. Currently there are lots of reports (in the Windows
groups), that the latest major update, v115, is severely broken,
probably mostly for news, but maybe also for e-mail. (FWIW, I use
60.9.0).

To all: This is just an off-topic warning. Please move any responses
to an appropriate group. Thanks.

Now we resume our regular programming.

$DRIFT OFF

[sms]

I have the Obi 202.

If you only enter seven digits it adds the area code.

If you enter ten digits then it knows to use whatever area code you enter.

I forget if you have to dial 1 first.

[AJL]

On 10/18/2023 10:46 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> AJL <noe...@none.com> wrote:

>> User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; WOW64; rv:45.0)
>> Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/45.0

> Does that ("20100101" and "45.0") indeed indicate that you've frozen
> Thunderbird at an (very) old version?

No, but there is a setting that I use: Tools>Options>Advanced>Tic:Never
check for updates. So far it has worked as promised. I also keep an
45.0 installation file for when I get new Windows toys.

> If so, good. Currently there are lots of reports (in the Windows
> groups), that the latest major update, v115, is severely broken,
> probably mostly for news, but maybe also for e-mail. (FWIW, I use
> 60.9.0).

Check yours, you may have the same setting. I'm not sure when/if they
got rid of it. I just liked my version so wanted to keep it...

> To all: This is just an off-topic warning. Please move any responses
> to an appropriate group. Thanks.

BS. Leave em here. I don't read any appropriate groups...

> Now we resume our regular programming.

With this place being dead sometimes for a day or more perhaps a little
off topic use would help...

[AJL]

Carlos E. R. wrote:

> AJL wrote:

>> Moving to a new ISP is like moving to a new house if you use their
>> email system. Everybody has to be advised of the new address.
>> PITA. That's why I started using Gmail addresses years ago...

> Yes, in fact my *M*SP no longer accepts new mails, tells client to
> use gmail or any other. Since several years, maybe a decade. But they
> keep the service for those clients that got it long ago.

That's fortunate. Hope they can stay in business for the duration.

I don't worry too much with Gmail. Statistic: Gmail has over 1.8 billion
active users as of 2023. which means 22.22% of the world's population
uses Google's mail service.

>> When the SO has a problem with her iPhone I usually don't have a
>> clue. So she gets a grandkid to fix it...

> Yes, but at least those old people can call the grandkids. There are
> people that can't even start a call or answer a call on a smartphone.
> It just happens.

Yup. I've got a bunch of those folks near me in the local cemetery...

[AJL]

Frank Slootweg wrote:

> AJL wrote:

>> Moving to a new ISP is like moving to a new house if you use their
>> email system. Everybody has to be advised of the new address.
>> PITA. That's why I started using Gmail addresses years ago...

> Yes, I also have several Gmail addresses, but as I said, our main/old
> addresses predate the web/Internet and hence Gmail. An even earlier
> address is in printed books. A tad hard to change those! :-)

IIRC my first email address was with AOL. Probably mid 90s...