Information Technology Reference
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switched.his.hook.switch.and.connected.him.over.the.cop-
per.wires.to.Adele's.circuit..Adele.told.him.that.there.was.a.
call.from.Betsy,.and.he.said,.“Thanks,.I've.been.expecting.to.
hear.from.her!”
Then. Adele. simply. unplugged. that. cable. from. her. own.
socket.and.plugged.it.into.the.socket.for.Betsy's.connection.
and.Betsy.was.connected.to.Tom.and.could.ask.him.if.he.had.
inished.preparing.her.sleeping.powders..After.Tom.told.her.
they.would.be.ready.for.her.that.afternoon,.the.two.of.them.
put. down. their. phone. sets. and. switched. the. hook. switches.
on.their.phones.to.off,.disconnecting.from.the.network.and.
consequently.turning.off.the.lights.over.their.sockets.at.the.
central.ofice..Adele.took.note.of.this.and.pulled.the.cable.out.
and.set.it.aside.for.later.
This.was.a.very.simple.system.that.worked.incredibly.well..
Of.course.in.a.bigger.city.there.would.be.rows.and.rows.of.
switchboards.and.possibly.hundreds.of.operators.
Now.that's.all.very.well.for.calling.Tom.across.town,.but.
how.did.Betsy.get.a.hold.of.her.old.friend.Marge.out.on.the.
west.coast?.Well,.it.was.still.a.pretty.simple.process,.but.now.
it.included.a.few.more.parts.
This. time. when. she. got. Adele. the. operator. on. the. line,.
Betsy.said,.“Hey.Adele,.how's.it.going.today?.I.need.to.talk.
to.my.old.friend.Marge.in.Seattle.”.Adele.answered,.“Not.too.
bad.if.it.don't.rain,.Betsy.dear..What's.your.friend's.number?”.
Betsy.told.her.the.number.including.the.area.code,.and.Adele.
then.told.her.to.hang.on.and.plugged.her.line.into.a.special.
socket. that. connected. her. to. a. long. distance. ofice. where.
another.operator.(let's.call.her.Louise).saw.the.light.turn.on.
over.the.socket.for.Adele's.ofice.and.plugged.in.her.cable.to.
say,.“Long.Distance,.how.may.I.help.you?”
Then.Adele.told.Louise.the.number.she.needed.to.reach,.
and. Louise. plugged. a. cable. from. Adele's. socket. into. the.
socket. for. another. long. distance. ofice. in. the. Seattle. area.
code..In.that.ofice,.yet.another.operator.would.politely.ask.
Adele.for.the.number.she.wanted.to.reach.and.then.make.the.
connection.to.the.central.ofice.that.controlled.the.number..
