Wrong Number -- Businessman Hasn't Acted To Solve His Phone Problem

I'm not sure what's more appalling, Ralph Guditz' continual griping about a situation he's not willing to take steps toward correcting, or The Times' concurrence that its front page (Aug. 8) is an ideal forum for this man's ranting and raving.

I'll admit, I do feel some sympathy for Mr. Guditz. Answering 40 phone calls in one day that are aimed at your well-to-do neighbor across the street is no one's idea of a good time, but Mr. Guditz has done nothing constructive to end his plight.

The article claims that five years ago, when Fugu Ltd. moved to Redmond, they chose the phone number that is the root of the current problem.

Since the number 8080 has some significance in the company's product history, Fugu feels it cannot feasibly change its number. Does Mr. Guditz really expect Microsoft to change its number? Has Mr. Guditz ever considered that Microsoft's product history is also tied into this number, 8080. Microsoft had this number long before Fugu ever did.

Other than sending invoices to Bill Gates and threatening to sue Microsoft, Mr. Guditz offers no solutions of his own for this problem. He never really states what it is he expects from Microsoft. Other than some employees being careless in giving out the corporation's number, Microsoft's only crime is in being a large, successful company. Though it may be unpalatable, Mr. Guditz had better change his phone number or accept answering the phone with a loud and clear, "Hello, this is FUGU LTD." Tim Salazar Seattle