Good question..party line requests, it was cheaper..but we had to tell customers

the other party could listen in..oops...I remember the line assigners, even though the order called for party line, they would assign a single line cable - pair.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_line_(telephony)

You are so right..although, I'm not complaining..was a great PT job, still in HS, 17 years old,

bought a car, went FT, and never looked back..held many jobs, from dial bureau (assigning telephone numbers to orders, new, change etc etc..to dispatcher of installers 1967, we had one woman, in a sea of men, who was a line assigner, cable and pair for tel. connection, installers used this info at time of install..1972 I came back to work in the business office, the primo job at the time....lot's of history, lots of promos when women were seen as more than an operator..a long journey that I look back on with fond memories...

So much history..thanks for a walk down memory lane..I wanted to know if there are still

Ringdown communities...nope..1983 last one...

In telephony, ringdown is a method of signaling an operator in which telephone ringing current is sent over the line to operate a lamp or cause the operation of a self-locking relay known as a drop.

Ringdown is used in manual operation, as distinguished from automatic signaling by dialing a number. The signal consists of a continuous or pulsed alternating current (AC) signal transmitted over the line. It may be used with or without a telephone switchboard. The term originated in magneto telephone signaling in which cranking the magneto generator, either integrated into the telephone set or housed in a connected ringer box, would not only ring its bell but also cause a drop to fall down at the telephone exchange switchboard, marked with the number of the line to which the magneto telephone instrument was connected.

The last ringdown telephone exchange in the United States was located at Bryant Pond, Maine, had 400+ subscribers, and converted to dial service in October 1983.

Yes, bifurcation 1983, divestiture 1984 - I went with the Mothership ATT, we had a choice..

New England Telephone served most of the New England area of the United States, including Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont as a part of the original AT&T for seven decades. After the Bell System divestiture, it merged with New York Telephone to form NYNEX in 1984. After 1994, the name was no longer officially publicly used (although it was still used internally for portions of operations).

1983 American Bell, this was the year of bifurcation, 1984 ATT divestiture...and the PhoneCenter division, I had been with the PhoneCenter since beginning 1978..came over from training division..my alma mater - I made the right choice..CWA won unionization in PCS....although management, I welcomed the union, clear employee/management relationship..

ATT - not my ATT..we had values, and mission statements, loyalty from company..

In 2005, SBC purchased AT&T for $16 billion. After this purchase, SBC adopted the better-known AT&T name and brand, with the original AT&T Corp. still existing as the long-distance landline subsidiary of the merged company. The current AT&T claims the original AT&T Corp.'s history (dating to 1885) as its own.

Seems SBC has instilled their lack of values they always had..I remember a customer from FL, was not happy with me, because I wouldn't take calls off his bill, he went over my head to my boss (was management at the time, was on a takeover call, unruly customer)..come to find out, he was a SBC employee..boy, did he catch it..talk about backfire..

A pic at link shows the long bank of positions from 1943..I worked at one in 1964 (still in HS)

My job description below..

In the 1960s, once most phone subscribers had direct long-distance dialing, a single type of operator began to serve both the local and long distance functions. A customer might call to request a collect call, a call billed to a third number, or a person-to-person call. All toll calls from coin phones required operator assistance. The operator was also available to help complete a local or long-distance number which did not complete. For example, if a customer encountered a reorder tone (a fast busy signal), it could indicate "all circuits busy," or a problem in the destination exchange. The operator might be able to use a different routing to complete the call. If the operator could not get through by dialing the number, she could call the inward operator in the destination city, and ask her to try the number, or to test a line to see if it was busy or out of order.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_switchboard

Who didn't have a family member working for Ma Bell..that PT job turned into a FT job upon graduation..retired with 30 years..broke service for 5 years..retired '98...held many jobs ..spent last twenty years in Management..was a great career..

Talk about remembering Tel. numbers..I remember exchanges from Massachusetts..and area codes (602 NH, 207 Maine, 401 RI, 203 CT) from surrounding states to this day..Walpole MA , Montrose 8(668), or Framingham MA Trinity (87) (872,3,5,7,9) etc etc..I honestly believe that is why I love math..

Did you know in 1964, when I was hired, we had to sign employment papers that included "I AM not a communist"

How do I count the ways Hubby Shows Me Up -

Couple of weeks ago, I noticed the nightlight in one of the bathrooms was out..so I changed the bulb..(yes, I checked another outlet in the kitchen, the bulb worked) - nope, won't work in either outlet in bathroom..the switches for the other lights in BR work..what the hell..neither of the outlets have a GFS..I know just enough - process of elimination..

He hasn't been feeling well, and I didn't want to bother him..I am an independent DIYer..if you know what I mean..well, this morning he was feeling a little better so I asked him where the electric tester was..neither of the outlets have a GFS - here I'm thinking I need an electrician, but it wasn't important enough to do right now...

I felt bad even telling him, told him it wasn't important right now..just an fyi - he told me to push the GFS button, I told him there wasn't one..poor thing..got up out of bed, and went to the bathroom..gee, there isn't a GFS, (me, DUH), anyway..he went to the kitchen, pushed the GFS at that switch, says, now try it..OMG..it works..

I asked him WTH, he said, BR outlets on same line as Kitchen..I am still saying WTH....his feathers are just gloriously fanned for all to see..what a strut. Hubby for the win..made him feel a little better, not sure if it was the fix, or he got one on me...

Latest From Portland..BTW..Gibson turned himself in from May 2019 incident..

Richie Havens - Here comes the sun..just rising over Superstitions, AZ

John Bolton doesn't want a trade deal with the UK - he wants to colonise us