T&L Publications

I don't think I have picked up my land line in years. I mainly keep the number because most of my shopping rewards cards are associated with it and if I have to give a number on a form, it will be that one (also for 911 service) I use it like my secondary email account I use for risky signups. In any case, it doesn't get called all that often, my cell phone only gets one robocall and that's no more than 1 or 2 times a year (you know that ships whistle then you won a cruise etc.).

Its easy enough to screen your own calls but there isn't really a universal tool to screen them. I simply only answer calls I recognize the caller ID, everyone else has to leave a message. I also never call back numbers that don't leave messages.

I have found that some of the alternatives to the POTS, like FIOS, Cable and VOIP often don't play nice with fax, card terminal and alarm data transmissions.
It's a ragged technological edge.

I can see how VOIP (ooma, Fios) services might be a pain but cable implemented through the modem I've found to be indistinguishable to POTS in performance. VOIP often lacks caller ID and 911 service but cable phone has both.

you still FAX??? Wow, I can't remember my last FAX, must be over 10 years by now. I suppose a card terminal (credit card reader and modem) would work just like a FAX.

Yuup! I still fax.
Documents that I create are usually sent from the originating software as a PDF file, but with pre-printed forms it is much easier to fax them then to start the computer, open the software, scan and save the file, write an email and attach the file.
It's faxed before the system desktop comes up! I also have customers that sometimes send drawings of equiment via fax and now I like it more since the blizzard of junk faxes have subsided.

By the way, I still have, and use, a typewriter, sometimes! No, it's not an old click-clack machine. It's more modern, with a wide carriage, correctable film ribbon, and a host of upscale features including a Centronics port, but it isn't MS Word!

I am really going hi-tech ! Years ago I dumped my drafting board in favor of going into CAD, but I did save the 30/60/90 and 45/90 triangles. The're right in the drawer next to my K&E slipstick and the green drawing templates, but still can't find my roll of vellum!

I would be hard pressed to give up the drafting board in favor of cad, still remember the day i could afford a rotring 600 pencil. Something special about moving the t square and watch something come to life.

Check out the A3 rapid drawing board from rotring, would post a link but not sure its allowed?

The one thing i do miss the most from landlines is prank calls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lIRr3DZzxc

Watch what you wish for. The telemarketers are filling that void with cellphone spam!
What I miss is the ability to tinker and do things with the copper pair (Strictly outlawed by the Telephone Police years ago) , like building conference bridges, music on hold circuits, privacy controls, ring indicators...the list goes on.

Things really changed after the Carterfone decision in 1968 which opened the gateway for direct connected telephone devices, Previous to that, only inefficient acoustically coupled devices were permitted. The market was quickly flooded with telephone gizmo's and companies like Western Electric, Stromberg, and Automatic Electric could see their manufacturing posture changing.

The first line bridge I made was used by someone that went out of the office to 'play' during the day. When his wife would call, his secretary could 'transfer' the call to his 'extension' which was, out of the office! Another was used by an illegal bookie (bookmaker), but that's another story!

One of the more ingeniously simple devices was a privacy control that prevented more than one phone off hook at the same time. It was essentially a common diac placed in series with each phone (or group of phones). The first phone off hook seized the line since the on hook line voltage (48V) was high enough to conduct through the diac. Any other phone was unable to join in the conversation since the off hook line voltage (6V) dropped below the diac's threshold. But, if you hit the hook switch momentarily, the line spike would switch the excluded phone into the conversation. It was pure and unvarnished genius! One company, Procter, sold them as a two wire dongle that could easily be wired inside a telephone set. It annoyed me for some time until that eureka moment when I determined what made it work! These should still work on simulated POTS lines like FIOS or cable, but as for cellphones....No opportunity to play!

(Holy Smoke! I just searched and it looks like Proctor and the privacy gizmo are still around! http://www.proctorinc.com/41412.htm

All this talk about phones - I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. In a nutshell, I have never had a better telephone than good old POTS. Absolutely perfect clarity and unmatched reliability. With all this IPod crap, the actual telephone end of it is almost an afterthought!

You are absolutely right. Yes, sometimes there was static, hum and no dial tone but on a scale of 1 to 10 it was 9.99