I guess ask a kid today what the white pages were, they would say white privilage, and the yellow pages were racist against asians.
I just got one in the mail TODAY. No residential listings, but still a phone book.
I used to work for a phonebook company.
I get a really thin phone book that’s pretty much worthless once or twice a year. I tried to opt out of getting them but the company wanted so much personal information that I halted that process. So they continue to go straight into the trash can as soon as they arrive.
Just got the new one about a month ago.
I’ve long thought that old yellow pages would be a major reference in figuring out the ebb and flow of businesses in a region. Especially if digitized and put in a database.
I haven’t seen one in a decade at least. Glad they don’t waste money publishing them anymore.
How Adam West played a prank using his local phone book
https://boingboing.net/2017/06/10/how-adam-west-played-a-prank-u.html
When I was a kid we had two phone books.
One book was the regular one and was a directory
of the names....
The other was a directory of the actual numbers in numerical order so if you had someone’s number you could look in that book and get their address and name.
Free firestarter, delivered for free.
The first phone book was a single page printed in New Haven, Connecticut. It listed about 15;people and businesses.
We stopped receiving them shortly after I got good at tearing them in half with my bare hands.
if the only source of information is digital, it is easier to control the information/the people
We stopped getting them when the county discovered the recycle bins they handed out were useless - probably had phone books as the only recyclables for 2 years before ending the program...
What happened? Chuck Norris ripped them in half. All of them. At the same time.
I STILL GET A PHONE BOOK.
I STILL USE IT.
I ONLY HAVE LAND LINE
The phone book comes to my mailbox which is right next to my recycle bin for convenient disposal.
Last time I looked at a phone book, 25% of its pages were listings for lawyers.
I found the chunk of the mabell website to opt out. I have the internet, I don’t need a phonebook. I really extra don’t need with a cellphone, google place of business phone number, number shows up as a link, click and I’m dialing.
I remember about 10 years ago phonebook employees went on strike, turns out they were near where I work. I was like “guys, your industry is dying, they aren’t giving you a raise, you should find other work”.