From: not@my.home   
      
   Clare Snyder  wrote:   
   > On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 20:24:44 -0800, Roger Rhino  wrote:   
   >   
   > >John Stankey  wrote:   
   > >> On 1/31/26 03:08, Roger Rhino wrote:   
   > >> > No, ding-a-ling.  Did you not see the + before 354?  Do you know that   
   > >> > the + means a country code follows?  Or perhaps you thought it was just   
   > >> > a decoration?   
   > >> >   
   > >> > +354 is the country code for -- surprise! -- Iceland.   
   > >> >   
   > >> >> Admin Country: Iceland   
   > >> >> Admin Country Code: IS   
   > >> >> Admin Phone: +354-546-1984   
   > >> >                 ^^^^   
   > >> >> Billing Phone: +354-546-1984   
   > >> >                   ^^^^   
   > >> >   
   > >> > If the + weren't there, it might be a canadian phone number.  But it   
   > >> > isn't.   
   > >> >   
   > >> > Now hop back into your sock drawer.  Don't come back until you can   
   > >> > conjure up some conspiracy theories that are better than this one.   
   > >> >   
   > >> > Kooks nowadays are so clueless.   
   > >>   
   > >> My landline phone don't have a + on it. Come to think of it, it doesn't   
   have a minus sign either.   
   > >   
   > >   
   > >It varies by region and carrier.  In the US, on a rotary or touch-tone   
   > >phone you generally replace the + with 011.  In some countries it's 00.   
   > >Check your phone book for specifics.   
   > >   
   > >Most Usenet readers can remember what rotary dials and phone books are.   
   > >;)   
   >  Not sure about now, but at one time a + in front of the number in a   
   > cell phone contact list just meant it was long distance.   
   >   
   >  according to Google AI it is still that way:   
   >   
   > A "+" in front of a 10-digit phone number indicates   
   > the number is written in full international format, representing the   
   > international exit code (e.g., 011 or 00) followed by the country   
   > code. It signifies that the number can be dialed from anywhere in the   
   > world, often used by mobile networks for automatic routing.   
      
   Looks like Google AI is saying that a + means it's an international   
   call, or at least it's a call in which the + is followed by the country   
   code.  Not just long-distance.  Same for both cell & landline networks.   
      
   If it's simply a long-distance call within the US (and/or Canada/Mexico/   
   Carribean, which all share the +1 country code), the 10-digit number is   
   preceeded by a 1, for example 1-888-123-4567.  If it's a person-to-   
   person, collect, or other operator-assisted call, the number is   
   preceeded by a 0 instead of 1.  The above doesn't apply in cell   
   networks.  IIRC, YMMV etc.   
      
   Now person-to-person calling is really a trip on the wayback machine.   
   It's only slightly more modern than smoke signals.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)