6 ms·

Seeing 770-555-5555 on screen has always been a huge pet peeve for me. It really kills the suspension of disbelief for me.

kevincox 11mo ago
Yeah, it would be nice if the reserved numbers were random so that they didn't stand out. Sure, some nerds will still memorize the list but even with 20 numbers it would be basically indistinguishable to the average person compared to the xxx-555-xxxx for NANP.
- ianburrell 11mo ago
  I think the goal with 555 numbers is people know not to call it. But it would be possible to register a number and put a promotion or easter egg on it. These days with virtual phone numbers it would be pretty cheap. The main problem is it lasting when rest of promotion disappears.
reaperducer 11mo ago
Back in Bell of Pennsylvania days, 555 was a legitimate prefix. It was used to reach BoPA offices.
- b112 11mo ago
  It still is, for every area code I believe. It's the same as calling 411 where I am. (Information)
- pbhjpbhj 11mo ago
  When I was a kid '555' was my whole [UK local] phone number.
  - Ylpertnodi 11mo ago
    I remember when they added 0 to town codes...but just 3 digit?
    - pbhjpbhj 11mo ago
      Yup, it was a local exchange {for local people!?}. The story I heard was that the owner of the manor where the exchange was had been a telephone pioneer.
kid64 11mo ago
Recently I've noticed the 555 prefix being used less, in favor of prefixes starting with 1, which are also invalid in the real world.
- lwhi 11mo ago
  I thought 1 is the country prefix for the USA?
  - averageRoyalty 11mo ago
    It is, although I'd imagine many Americans aren't aware of this.
  - phantom784 11mo ago
    Technically it's the country code for the North American Numbering Plan, which is used by several other countries as well as the US. But in this context it'd be the first digit of the area code, with no country code being used because the call is within the US. There are no area codes in the the North American Numbering Plan that start with a 1.
    - extraduder_ire 11mo ago
      Have none starting with 1 been assigned, or is there some technical reason there are none?
      - phantom784 11mo ago
        Per Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_Numbering_Plan_area_codes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_Numberi... "The syntax rules for area codes do not permit the digits 0 and 1 in the leading position." My guess would be it's to avoid ambiguity with the fact that 1 is also the country code. If I recall correctly, historically, dialing the 1 was necessary for any long distance call (even if not international).
bitwize 11mo ago
Accordingly for a movie that showed aspects of phone phreaking techniques and culture, Hackers (1995) mentions at least three 555 numbers: 212-555-4240: The number of the modem at OTV that Dade social-engineers out of the security flunkie, allowing him to dial into the cable channel's systems 555-4817: Lisa Blair's phone number, which Lord Nikon recalls out of his photographic memory at the party. 555-4202: Kate's number, which Phreak connects to by rapidly pressing the prison phone's switchhook ten times (effectively pulse-dialing 0) and then asking the operator for help dialing Given how stylized the movie is as a whole, the prominence of several obviously-fake phone numbers is the least of the things that break realism.
- ThePowerOfFuet 11mo ago
  >rapidly pressing the prison phone's switchhook ten times (effectively pulse-dialing 0) Eleven times; 1 was two clicks.
  - sokoloff 11mo ago
    GP is correct. 1 has 1 click (at least in US where I grew up). There are a few variations listed below, but none seem to use “extra” clicks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_dialing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_dialing
    - dadver 11mo ago
      Swede here, the article even mentions Sweden as an exception having an extra click.
dhosek 11mo ago
There’s a fun scene in The Last Action Hero which plays on this convention: A kid who’s gotten transported into a movie and is trying to convince Arnold Scharzenegger’s character that they’re in a movie by asking a bunch of people what their phone number is and pointing out that all the numbers begin with 555.

kevincox 11mo ago

Yeah, it would be nice if the reserved numbers were random so that they didn't stand out. Sure, some nerds will still memorize the list but even with 20 numbers it would be basically indistinguishable to the average person compared to the xxx-555-xxxx for NANP.

ianburrell 11mo ago
I think the goal with 555 numbers is people know not to call it. But it would be possible to register a number and put a promotion or easter egg on it. These days with virtual phone numbers it would be pretty cheap. The main problem is it lasting when rest of promotion disappears.

reaperducer 11mo ago

Back in Bell of Pennsylvania days, 555 was a legitimate prefix. It was used to reach BoPA offices.

b112 11mo ago
It still is, for every area code I believe. It's the same as calling 411 where I am. (Information)
pbhjpbhj 11mo ago
When I was a kid '555' was my whole [UK local] phone number.
- Ylpertnodi 11mo ago
  I remember when they added 0 to town codes...but just 3 digit?
  - pbhjpbhj 11mo ago
    Yup, it was a local exchange {for local people!?}. The story I heard was that the owner of the manor where the exchange was had been a telephone pioneer.

kid64 11mo ago

Recently I've noticed the 555 prefix being used less, in favor of prefixes starting with 1, which are also invalid in the real world.

lwhi 11mo ago
I thought 1 is the country prefix for the USA?
- averageRoyalty 11mo ago
  It is, although I'd imagine many Americans aren't aware of this.
- phantom784 11mo ago
  Technically it's the country code for the North American Numbering Plan, which is used by several other countries as well as the US. But in this context it'd be the first digit of the area code, with no country code being used because the call is within the US. There are no area codes in the the North American Numbering Plan that start with a 1.
  - extraduder_ire 11mo ago
    Have none starting with 1 been assigned, or is there some technical reason there are none?
    - phantom784 11mo ago
      Per Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_Numbering_Plan_area_codes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_Numberi... "The syntax rules for area codes do not permit the digits 0 and 1 in the leading position." My guess would be it's to avoid ambiguity with the fact that 1 is also the country code. If I recall correctly, historically, dialing the 1 was necessary for any long distance call (even if not international).

bitwize 11mo ago

Accordingly for a movie that showed aspects of phone phreaking techniques and culture, Hackers (1995) mentions at least three 555 numbers: 212-555-4240: The number of the modem at OTV that Dade social-engineers out of the security flunkie, allowing him to dial into the cable channel's systems 555-4817: Lisa Blair's phone number, which Lord Nikon recalls out of his photographic memory at the party. 555-4202: Kate's number, which Phreak connects to by rapidly pressing the prison phone's switchhook ten times (effectively pulse-dialing 0) and then asking the operator for help dialing Given how stylized the movie is as a whole, the prominence of several obviously-fake phone numbers is the least of the things that break realism.

ThePowerOfFuet 11mo ago
>rapidly pressing the prison phone's switchhook ten times (effectively pulse-dialing 0) Eleven times; 1 was two clicks.
- sokoloff 11mo ago
  GP is correct. 1 has 1 click (at least in US where I grew up). There are a few variations listed below, but none seem to use “extra” clicks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_dialing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse_dialing
  - dadver 11mo ago
    Swede here, the article even mentions Sweden as an exception having an extra click.

dhosek 11mo ago

There’s a fun scene in The Last Action Hero which plays on this convention: A kid who’s gotten transported into a movie and is trying to convince Arnold Scharzenegger’s character that they’re in a movie by asking a bunch of people what their phone number is and pointing out that all the numbers begin with 555.