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Telephone numbers

Started by Poiponen13, December 13, 2022, 11:08:59 AM

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Poiponen13

Could telephone numbers in North America also contain letters in future? For example 223-ASW-3XB3.


oscar

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 11:08:59 AM
Could telephone numbers in North America also contain letters in future? For example 223-ASW-3XB3.

They used to, and still do in some advertising (for example, 1-800-DISCOVER). But since there are only 10 keys in standard telephone keypads, using letters instead of numbers (for example, 2 = A, B, or C) would not increase the supply of available numbers. 
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

hotdogPi

Quote from: oscar on December 13, 2022, 11:22:27 AM
But since there are only 10 keys in standard telephone keypads

# and * bring it up to 12.

There is a plan for expansion at some point in the far future, which is why area codes can't have 9 as a middle digit.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Poiponen13

Quote from: 1 on December 13, 2022, 11:32:56 AM
Quote from: oscar on December 13, 2022, 11:22:27 AM
But since there are only 10 keys in standard telephone keypads

# and * bring it up to 12.

There is a plan for expansion at some point in the far future, which is why area codes can't have 9 as a middle digit.
It would be good to use letters as well. And U.S. zip codes should also contain letters, e.g. in the format AB-1234.

SectorZ

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 11:38:38 AM
Quote from: 1 on December 13, 2022, 11:32:56 AM
Quote from: oscar on December 13, 2022, 11:22:27 AM
But since there are only 10 keys in standard telephone keypads

# and * bring it up to 12.

There is a plan for expansion at some point in the far future, which is why area codes can't have 9 as a middle digit.
It would be good to use letters as well. And U.S. zip codes should also contain letters, e.g. in the format AB-1234.

Can we dictate inconvenience into Finland's postal codes and phone numbers? Asking for a friend...

Poiponen13

Quote from: SectorZ on December 13, 2022, 11:52:13 AM
Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 11:38:38 AM
Quote from: 1 on December 13, 2022, 11:32:56 AM
Quote from: oscar on December 13, 2022, 11:22:27 AM
But since there are only 10 keys in standard telephone keypads

# and * bring it up to 12.

There is a plan for expansion at some point in the far future, which is why area codes can't have 9 as a middle digit.
It would be good to use letters as well. And U.S. zip codes should also contain letters, e.g. in the format AB-1234.

Can we dictate inconvenience into Finland's postal codes and phone numbers? Asking for a friend...
Finnish postal codes have five digits, exactly like US codes.

SP Cook

There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply. 

oscar

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 11:38:38 AM
And U.S. zip codes should also contain letters, e.g. in the format AB-1234.

U.S. Zip codes already have nine digits. Most people use only the first five digits (bulk mailers more often use all nine), which the Postal Service tolerates. But that could change should we somehow end up with a shortage of five-digit codes.

Changing the format to include letters seems to me a solution in search of a problem.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

Poiponen13

Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.
Zip codes would be nicer with letters.

LilianaUwU

All phone numbers should end with 5233 (JADE).
"Volcano with no fire... Not volcano... Just mountain."
—Mr. Thwomp

My pronouns are she/her. Also, I'm an admin on the AARoads Wiki.

skluth

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 12:38:58 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.
Zip codes would be nicer with letters.
Why? You keep saying it would be better or nicer but give no reasons. Unless you have a reason, you're just trolling. Again.

hbelkins

Seems like we've had this type of discussion before.

At one time, you saw phone numbers listed as a word followed by one number, then the dash, then the four-digit number. The landline prefix in my community is 464, so old newspaper ads showed phone numbers as INgersoll4-nnnn.

If you're old enough to remember the big-band song "Pennsylvania 6-5000," or have otherwise heard of it or that phrase, that song is making reference to a phone number.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

mgk920

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 12:38:58 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.
Zip codes would be nicer with letters.

Well, when the time does come for the USA to add to its land area, I can envision having to create ZIP codes with leading letters such as 'A0049' or 'A1227', etc.  In reality, anything is possible.

Mike

hotdogPi

#13
Quote from: mgk920 on December 13, 2022, 01:23:13 PM

Well, when the time does come for the USA to add to its land area, I can envision having to create ZIP codes with leading letters such as 'A0049' or 'A1227', etc.  In reality, anything is possible.

Mike

Some (usually older) video games have a bug where if you overflow the score counter, you can have e.g. C million points instead of 12 million. Is this proposal of that type where A = 10, B = 11, etc.?




I once saw a bar code that contained letters. How does that even work? All possible permutations of stripes that aren't one away from something else are used for the ten digits; there's no room for expansion.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Poiponen13

Quote from: mgk920 on December 13, 2022, 01:23:13 PM
Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 12:38:58 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.
Zip codes would be nicer with letters.

Well, when the time does come for the USA to add to its land area, I can envision having to create ZIP codes with leading letters such as 'A0049' or 'A1227', etc.  In reality, anything is possible.

Mike
Zip codes should do a reform where there can be a letter as first character of code.

Poiponen13

Quote from: skluth on December 13, 2022, 01:01:10 PM
Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 12:38:58 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.
Zip codes would be nicer with letters.
Why? You keep saying it would be better or nicer but give no reasons. Unless you have a reason, you're just trolling. Again.
I like letters as identifiers very greatly.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 01:26:50 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on December 13, 2022, 01:23:13 PM
Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 12:38:58 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.
Zip codes would be nicer with letters.

Well, when the time does come for the USA to add to its land area, I can envision having to create ZIP codes with leading letters such as 'A0049' or 'A1227', etc.  In reality, anything is possible.

Mike
Zip codes should do a reform where there can be a letter as first character of code.

What does that accomplish?

mgk920

Quote from: 1 on December 13, 2022, 01:25:47 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on December 13, 2022, 01:23:13 PM

Well, when the time does come for the USA to add to its land area, I can envision having to create ZIP codes with leading letters such as 'A0049' or 'A1227', etc.  In reality, anything is possible.

Mike

Some (usually older) video games have a bug where if you overflow the score counter, you can have e.g. C million points instead of 12 million. Is this proposal of that type where A = 10, B = 11, etc.?




I once saw a bar code that contained letters. How does that even work? All possible permutations of stripes that aren't one away from something else are used for the ten digits; there's no room for expansion.

'Hexadecimal' numbers.

Mike

Poiponen13

Quote from: jeffandnicole on December 13, 2022, 01:37:13 PM
Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 01:26:50 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on December 13, 2022, 01:23:13 PM
Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 12:38:58 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.
Zip codes would be nicer with letters.

Well, when the time does come for the USA to add to its land area, I can envision having to create ZIP codes with leading letters such as 'A0049' or 'A1227', etc.  In reality, anything is possible.

Mike
Zip codes should do a reform where there can be a letter as first character of code.

What does that accomplish?
Have more zip codes if exhaustion occurs.

SP Cook

Zip codes are in no danger of "exhaustion" .  The first three digits are for the zone, which is a central city with a sorting post office.  They planned ahead and they skipped plenty of combinations.  So in the unlikely event that a part of the country grew so much that it became a central post office, they have a number available.  The last two are either the individual post office in rural areas, or a part of town in big cities.  Again, they planned ahead and each set has plenty of skipped numbers.  If a new town develops, they just use one of those. 

Poiponen13

Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 02:14:03 PM
Zip codes are in no danger of "exhaustion" .  The first three digits are for the zone, which is a central city with a sorting post office.  They planned ahead and they skipped plenty of combinations.  So in the unlikely event that a part of the country grew so much that it became a central post office, they have a number available.  The last two are either the individual post office in rural areas, or a part of town in big cities.  Again, they planned ahead and each set has plenty of skipped numbers.  If a new town develops, they just use one of those.
But Canadian codes have one more character than US codes.

hotdogPi

This is one of the very rare cases when SP Cook is right. We're nowhere near running out, and there are a lot of available numbers.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

kphoger

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 01:29:27 PM

Quote from: skluth on December 13, 2022, 01:01:10 PM

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 12:38:58 PM

Quote from: SP Cook on December 13, 2022, 11:58:38 AM
There is obviously no reason to change zip codes.

As to area codes or phone numbers, the goofed up when they started all the overlays and area splits.  They could have just gone to four numbers, adding a zero to all the area codes and then up from there and had an inexhaustible supply.

Zip codes would be nicer with letters.

Why? You keep saying it would be better or nicer but give no reasons. Unless you have a reason, you're just trolling. Again.

I like letters as identifiers very greatly.

So what?

You liking something doesn't mean it should happen.

Troll.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

SP Cook

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 02:36:01 PM
But Canadian codes have one more character than US codes.

And?

Canada's system is slightly more complex.  The first character is unique to each province, thus wasting a lot for the smaller places.   The second character indicates rural or urban.  Certain character combinations are used for special functions. 

kphoger

Quote from: Poiponen13 on December 13, 2022, 02:36:01 PM
But Canadian codes have one more character than US codes.

Sounds inefficient.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.



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