🚀 go-pugleaf

When I moved from Copenhagen, Denmark to Santa Barbara, CA (and
I hope I'll stay as happy with that change as I as now, 5 years later)
there were certain differences that I had to get used to.

In Denmark, there are several separate service numbers for directory
assistance:
	0015, 0016 ... International Directory Assistance, by country group
	0034	Name to number
	(area code) 0034 Name to number for that area code
	0039 (??)	Number to name-and-address
	(area code)	Number to name-and-address in that area code
So when I got here, there came a day when I needed number-to-name-and-address
lookup, and I called the operator to ask how to get that information, and
I was shocked to learn that the phone company apparently is barred by
reguylation from providing that information to consumers, ("privacy")
but commercial businesses can provide it at great expense, either by
typing it up from the phone book, or (in some states, I think) by buying
the tape from the phone company.

Of course there are legitimate privacy concerns, but I feel that those
can be addressed by unlisted numbers. Oh, by the way, in Denmark, once
an unlisted number has been used for business purposes, or printed in
a newspaper ad for any purpose, the "unlisted" protection drops off:
the public is then deemed to have a right to know who you are.

The Danish rules feel natural to me, of course: I grew up with them.
Would someone who grew up with the rules here explain in what way
they personally feel that that policy would be wrong to introduce here ?
(In other words, I don't want to hear how it happened to be the way it is,
but would you object strongly if it were changed, and if so, why ?)

	Lars Poulsen @ Advanced Computer Communications
	<LARS@ACC.ARPA>