from the dept. With men and women more mobile today than ever before, a new idea, nicknamed "Enum," would link one's contact numbers and addresses through an Internet address based upon a phone number, which when typed would offer a glossary of cell, email, work phone, and other means of contacting someone. Developed by Cisco Systems engineer Patrik Falstrom, a selected phone number would be typed in, then reversed by software so that each number was separated with dots, and all tied to a domain name such as: 4.1.4.6.5.4.2.2.0.1.e164.arpa. The typed number would be guided by pre-programmed preferences, so that typing I it would simply send email, or dial a home phone number with instructions to dial a work number if the home phone is not answered. Currently, a political battle is brewing over the question of who would run the master database storing people's multiple-contact information--VeriSign that overseas the domain name registry, or NeuStar that manages the master list of U.S. phone numbers. The U.S. government has not taken a position, though the State and Commerce Departments, as well as the FTC are all examining the issue. Experts are unsure whether an Enum database could be safeguarded against hackers, and some wonder whether Enum would place too much personal information in the hands of companies already criticized for their anti-privacy practices. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44468-2001Apr21.html < | >
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