Posted on 07/20/2011 6:44:18 PM PDT by jocon307
You probably dial a few of them every day, but do you ever stop and think about the history behind a phone number? When were the first numbers introduced? How did you end up with a particular area code?
We’ve got the answers to these quandaries and more in our collection of 10 fascinating facts that you might not know about the common phone number.
(Excerpt) Read more at mashable.com ...
I just tried that on my new android phone and it works that way as well ... I had no clue. My smart phone is waaaaaaaaay smarter than its owner. A couple of days ago I figured out that I can speak my text messages and it types them for me ... whoa!
Now, I was a wee child in 1964 and my husband not much older, but we purchased his parents' homestead from the siblings, so the phone number came with it, we had to change the name on the account.
I remember the old party lines and listening to the scary old widow woman who lived not far from us. Rumor was that she boiled children on the ivy-covered back porch. [shudder]
I wonder what people would think of party lines today?
The murder rate would go up.
:~)
Well, with all these idiots talking in bathrooms, Wal-Mart, and anywhere (and EVERYwhere) else about all sorts of private business (who’s sleeping with whom, what they did, the drugs they take, etc), we do have a party line.
Every single one of us.
But we aren’t all sharing the same phone line to get out.
I still quote the number....also what cracks me up is Garrett Morris from the original SNL team workin for AT&T in a hearing impaired skit
basically he looked right in the camera and S C R E A M E D
Perhaps we can *unlock* the mystery behind Usurper Obama’s Social Security Number prefix, while we’re at it? 042-68-4425.
One of my phone numbers from when I was a kid was ‘62’. The city started with ‘1’ and just moved up in numbers. The standard 7 digit numbers came about later...
Yes, my brother still has my parents’ old number, it’s probably about the same age.
And it was sad when my mom-in-law’s house was sold, her number ended in 0008, so it must have been one of a bunch of new numbers given out when all those new post-war suburban homes were built. It was only 1 year younger than hubby!
When I went to college at a small town in the 70’s, you only had to dial the last 5 digits of local numbers.
Cute!! {^)
Yes, I am so very grateful that I still have both my mom and dad — I love them both so dearly, and they celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary this year. They still enjoy each others’ company, giggle, make each other laugh, etc. I am so grateful to God for blessing me with such wonderful folks.
I remember that! It was hilarious!
bfl
<(I never personally spoke to a male operator though I suppose there were some)
I read that while they tried male operators, women were more ‘compliant,’ shall we say and easier to mold in the ways of the phone company. Guys also had a tendency to fool around with the equipment.
See: Race on the Line: Gender, Labor, and Technology in the Bell System, 1880–1980 by Venus Green
“...international authorities are exploring the 12 digit system.”
I always remember my uncle telling us that in the future you’d have to dial more and more digits to get through to a phone number. He sure was right about that.
Not much else, but he had that nailed!
“Helen Keller met her teacher Anne Sullivan through contact with Alexander Graham Bell.”
I did not know that.
“A couple of days ago I figured out that I can speak my text messages and it types them for me ... whoa!”
Ohmigosh, my boss just showed me how his phone does this. Amazing! He can send an email too with it.
The voice recognition/translation is very impressive. Hubby tried something like that years ago and it would have made a great game. “Guess what garbled phrase will come out of the computer!”
They certainly seem to have improved it.
“Guys also had a tendency to fool around with the equipment.”
LOL, I never would think of that, but I can see how it might have been a problem.
Gals would not be dismantling the board in an effort to “improve” it.
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