Jeff, a COCP (crusty old college professor) told me that in order to learn something thoroughly, teach it. I have been teaching telephony either officially at the phone company, or unofficially to folks like you who just want to know these things casually, for 30 years.
I can describe every blue-collar operation there is, because I have done those jobs. From power technician to switchman to splicer, to installer/repairman, with side trips into management, business office, and Safety & Security.
On an interview for another facet of my life, I was once asked "What do you know about how the phone company works" and I said, rather flippantly, "I know how they take electrons and make them into pennies."
When I immersed myself in telephony, it was still being provided by the Best Telephone Company In The World. You can see from even my short description of the lowly interrupter how the whole system was designed to cover any situation. It truly was One System. The company would strive to avoid any unanswered call, so that revenue would be maximized, but they also would strive to avoid any foul-up that would diminish their reputation. Collisions, glare, wrong numbers, and delays in completing or answering a call were all to be avoided.
Contrast this dogma with just one item of telephony that you are familiar with in today's telephone environment: Caller ID. It seems like a great innovation, but I'll wager that it causes more confusion, missed calls, misdirected calls, and general frustration than any other "improvement" that has been put out there.
I have a cell phone (yes, gasp, it's true) and when I call people I remind them that the best way to reach me is at my business number. In a small town like mine, we just go by the last 4 digits, as a quick way of announcing our numbers. (There's only one exchange, SHelterisland 9 -- 749 -- and we dial all seven digits) People ignore what I say, and because THEY are using a cell phone, they take the easy way out and just hit "redial" and try to reach me via MY cell number. This screws up my operation, because now I have no record at my office of call details, and many messages don't get through to me due to the Babel Tower of so many competing cell companies and general mismanagement of the cell industry.
So, an innovation has caused a dilution of the old Bell System quest for perfection.
Stick around, and if you really want to know how the whole Big Machine works, guys like Ed, Ken, Sam, myself and the others will explain it. (Still waiting for SilverSomeone to chime in on Ground Start Trunks...)
Just remember, if you learn about it, we expect you to go home and hook up a small 1A2 system, so that the tradition will continue. To paraphrase a famous saying, "Once you go 1A2, you never go back."
