[Asterisk-Users] Polycom-Asterisk hints/presence

[Mike Fedyk]

Damon Estep wrote:
> I understand your "technology agnostic position", and it makes sense,
> however my vote (for the little that it is worth) would be to implement
> a SIP rfc complaint shared line appearance capability (and/or bridged
> line appearance), and then, if possible, extend it to support zaptel and
> iax and whatever else is popular. SIP is arguably the most common choice
> for NEW VoIP implementation, and it also appears to be the common ground
> upon which all vendors of VoIP gear will meet for interoperability. IAX,
> even with its advantages, will not likely progress to the same stage of
> universal acceptance, it may very well be the choice of many asterisk
> users, but in the end you will still have to talk SIP interoperate with
> the "VoIP Revolution"
Ok, let me jump in and explain it a different way.

The way asterisk works is it abstracts concepts from protocol details.  
For instance let's say a protocol like SIP or IAX is a human language 
(and what is a protocol except for a means of communication between 
computers like language is a means of communication between humans?).  
They both have concepts for the concept of "walk" but the English and 
Chinese languages implement it very differently.

I think the part that most people are missing is being able to monitor 
the status of another extension (not channel, since channels are only in 
use during calls) and ringing multiple phones simultaneously can easily 
be done with queues or dialing multiple extensions from the dial() command.

Now let's say all languages (protocols) have the base functionality of 
lighting a call appearance when it is in use, and blinking it when it is 
ringing.  Then an assistant can know when their boss is on the phone or 
not at a glance.  These base concepts need to be implemented in the core 
so that they can be interpreted by the protocols (languages) into the 
specifics of what hits the wire.

So, that is why it must go into core and then that needs to be exposed 
to the protocols.  The hardest part is finding the right abstraction so 
the concept (core) can be translated properly into the various languages 
(protocols).

And not one reference to a car or driving. ;)  How's that?

Mike