送交者: AA 于 2005-1-04, 21:36:31:
回答: why didn't we have telephone system sorted by name? 由 008 于 2005-1-04, 15:48:00:
since it's already partially the reality in dialup with Messenger. With the processor becoming cheaper and cheaper, it's no surprise to put one in your phone. Actually if you are using a cell phone, I guess you call your friends mostly by looking up their names in the contact list of the phone.
The difference is what the underlying mechanism really works: does the telecommunication system really interprete the names in letters or it only does a mapping from name to telephone number in your phone. I guess the latter approach will be more prevailing, just like you don't remember a host IP directly but can access it with its domain name. Well this analog is not exact, since domain name is defined by the system and the mapping is conducted by the DNS system, while your contact list is defined by youself and the mapping is carried on in your phone locally. But it's possible to define each person's phone info in the way of DNS, but remember any information that is semantically understandable can expose some of your privacy if it's uniquely related to you. That's why people can happily leave an ICQ number but barely give out home address.
Anyway, I belive your dream is implementable if people _really_ want.