Here's My Number (for Today)

NY TIMES -- Nov 30 -- "Why would I give out my cell?" said Ms. McClain, 23. "I don't need a guy I met at a bar one night calling me every day for the next two weeks begging me to go out. I want to filter out the people I don't need to have contact with." In an age of information oversharing, the mobile-phone number is one of the few pieces of personal information that people still choose to guard. And the decision to give out a cell number can haunt you for years, as people now hold on to the numbers longer than their land-line numbers. Instead of giving out her cell number, Ms. McClain has recently been dispersing what has become known as a "social phone number." A handful of Web sites are creating mask numbers, which can be obtained in nearly every area code. FULL ARTICLE @ NY TIMES

Mark Brooks: I'm preparing a side by side analysis of over a dozen anonymous calling service providers suitable for consideration of internet dating and social networking services. Email me at [email protected] to get your copy as soon as it's completed. I'm working for Vumber.com (coming soon) and this is part of my research for them.