714/657 Area Codes

[Morrigoon]

GD: Not saying drop area codes, just stop adding so many. Go to an 8-digit regular phone number so that people don't have to dial the area code in their own area. Because now, people in Anaheim have to dial 10 digits every time they call. Then they only have to care about the extra digit when dialing outside their area, in which case they're probably not trying to memorize the number anyway.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

GD: Not saying drop area codes, just stop adding so many. Go to an 8-digit regular phone number so that people don't have to dial the area code in their own area. Because now, people in Anaheim have to dial 10 digits every time they call. Then they only have to care about the extra digit when dialing outside their area, in which case they're probably not trying to memorize the number anyway.

It makes more sense to me to keep things consistent. Dial the full 10 for everything, rather than dialing just 7 (or 8) for some numbers, but the full 10 (or 11) for others. Keep it simple.

Adding an 8th digit mean a pretty expansive (doable, but expansive) retooling of our telephone switching system that, with a few billion numbers still unused in the current system seems pointless.

A LOT fewer: eight digits would be 10 million (10,000,000). Dropping all numbers starting with "0" and "1" (you can't [under our current system] have those as the first number of a phone number) and you're down to 8 million.

There are a lot more than just those that are excluded (any number starting with 911, 411, 555, 311 come to mind, that's another 40,000 right there). But your math is off. Excluding numbers that start with 1 & 0 leaves 80 million, not 8 million. I was keeping it simple with "fewer than 100 million".

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

There are a lot more than just those that are excluded (any number starting with 911, 411, 555, 311 come to mind, that's another 40,000 right there). But your math is off. Excluding numbers that start with 1 & 0 leaves 80 million, not 8 million. I was keeping it simple with "fewer than 100 million".

You are correct. I was the mathematical idiot this time.

[BarTopDancer]

Does it really take that much longer to dial an extra 4 numbers (1+) during the times you actually dial a number?

[Alex]

The big problem with changing to an 8 digit phone number (with or without area codes) is not the time it takes to dial or the quantity of phone numbers available. It is the secondary cost of every single phone number already in use having to be relearned, the cost to update every phone number listing that currently exists (from personal phone books to advertisements to business cards to the hundreds of other places phone numbers are conveyed).

If the phone company were to say "we're adding a digit to your phone number" the uproar would be huge. Governments would fall, lawsuits would be filed, widows would be left crying in the streets.

Simply requiring everybody to always dial the area code is a simple change that the phone companies can implement almost completely on their own with a minimum of collateral damage.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Alex

The big problem with changing to an 8 digit phone number (with or without area codes) is not the time it takes to dial or the quantity of phone numbers available. It is the secondary cost of every single phone number already in use having to be relearned, the cost to update every phone number listing that currently exists (from personal phone books to advertisements to business cards to the hundreds of other places phone numbers are conveyed).

Yes, that is what I was referring to as the "expansive retooling".

[Morrigoon]

Sometimes I think you write this stuff just to get quoted, Alex. LOL.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

The only reason I'm annoyed at the overlay is that at the library, we have to call people when their item holds become available. Each of us usually makes about 5 of these calls a day, and when it's our turn to process the afternoon delivery, the number can shoot up to 20 or 30. I've been adding 1714 for weeks now to prepare myself, so it's already automatic for me.

[RStar]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Beginning tomorrow (Saturday 8/23/08 AD) the 657 area code overlay is in full effect. That means that if you live in the 714 area code and you are dialing someone in the 714 area code, you must now dial the 714 area code in addition to the phone number (whereas previously you only had to dial the seven digit phone number).

Check your speed dials and get used to the added digits.

The low down on the details.

But, do you dial 1+714+number?

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

Does it really take that much longer to dial an extra 4 numbers (1+) during the times you actually dial a number?

So 4 numbers being 1+714, right?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yes, you need to "1" prefix.