If a Verizon customer called a Qwest customer . . .

The call would probably be logged anyway, right?

What if a Qwest customer called a Verizon customer? Would Verizon know and keep a record of that?

Is it only outgoing calls that get linked to someone's name?

I assume Qwest customer to Qwest customer calls were perhaps not kept, but if those are the only ones, that is a much smaller proportion of calls protected than whatever Qwest's market share is.

Anyone know more about this?

Also, we are now hearing the spin that only times, dates, and numbers were recorded. But didn't the USA today story report that "keywords" were being logged as well? How then can anyone make the comment that the "content" of our conversations are not being saved?

customers would be caught in the net via crossfire.

customers. And that calls are made randomly between customers of each company (we know neither of these assumptions are remotely true, but bear with me).

If Qwest's customers' phone records were actually protected by the company's non-compliance, then 1/4 of the phone calls made were not recorded.

But if the records include both incoming and outgoing calls, as you say, then only 1/16 of phone calls were not recorded (those from Qwest customers to Qwest customers).

That sucks.

are only as good as the weakest link...
in this case Verizon...
it only takes one bad provider to compromise
our whole network of communications.
It's critical that our constitution is upheld...
or we're without law.

Mikey is listening and recording. You use the backbone network every time you dial a number outside your LATA. Here's a US LATA map.

The major backbones networks in the country are run by AT&T and MCI (Verizon) - and we know where these folks stand.

The Qwest situation is a little more interesting. I haven't had time to verify it, but I seem to recall the BFEE via The Carlyle Group has a large interest in Qwest. If you believe Carlyle isn't doing something shady at Qwest, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell ya.

Poppy Bush, and Frank Carlucci, and Cap Weinberger (when he was alive), etc. from having their phone calls recorded.

definitely tracked.

What f-ers.