BKITNLCB.RVW 950413 "International CallBack Book", Gene Retske, 1995, 0-936648-65-1, U$34.95 %A Gene Retske gretske@tach.net %C 12 West 21 Street, New York, NY 10010 %D 1995 %G 0-936648-65-1 %I Flatiron Publishing, Inc. %O U$34.95 212-691-8215 1-800-LIBRARY fax 212-691-1191 %P 334 %T "International CallBack Book" Today a call can be made from one end of the country to another for less cost than a local call at a pay phone. Why is it, then, that I afford my wife such rich amusement by the lengths to which I will go rather than return a long distance phone call? My irrational prejudice about the expense of long distance was fixed back in the dark ages, when it *was* relatively expensive. It was common practice, when leaving friends or relatives on a long trip, to place a collect call to those one had left once one had arrived at the destination. They wouldn't accept the call, naturally, but would understand that you had arrived safely. This was sometimes known as "code calling". Such practice was, of course, a form of fraud. Phone companies generally now have tariffs to avoid it, such as a minimum charge on collect calls, whether they are accepted or not. International callback arises from the fact that a call from country A to country B may cost the user up to twice as much as a call placed from country B to country A. The United States generally has much cheaper long distance charges than other countries. Companies are now starting to make use of this fact, and different types of code calling, in order to reduce the overall costs of international long distance traffic. (Despite the security link, "International callback" has no relation to "call back verify", a practice of calling a user back at a pre-determined number in order to authenticate identity.) Retske's book covers all aspects of the field, examining not only the technical problems and solutions in the callback process, but also the establishment and marketing of a company transacting such a telecommunications business. The costs and benefits for users are analysed, and the legal, political, and social aspects are discussed as well. An intriguing argument for the validity of the operation is based not merely on "free market" principles, but on the fact that those entities most opposed to callback are the ones responsible for the disparity which drives its use. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKITNLCB.RVW 950413 ============== Vancouver ROBERTS@decus.ca | "In questions of science, the Institute for Robert_Slade@sfu.ca | authority of a thousand is not Research into Rob.Slade@f733.n153.z1/| worth the humble reasoning User .fidonet.org| of a single individual." Security Canada V7K 2G6 | - Galileo