MetaChat - The new phone books came yesterday.

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

23 June 2007

The new phone books came yesterday. The dead tree ones. And I realized that I'd never cracked the old ones in the last year.→[More:] The phone book used to be so ubiquitous and useful, but apparently, I've found everything I've needed in terms of local businesses via the Web this past year. I feel sorry for all those small businesses that blew substantial chunks of their ad budgets on Yellow Pages ads.

I'm probably spending way too much time at the computer. When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

When was the last time you looked up a number in the real phone book?

post by: paulsc at: 05:29 | 12 comments

When my new Yellow Pages arrived, I went to put the previous one in the recycling sack and it was still in its plastic wrapper, unopened.

The last time I used the phone book was when I was looking for someone to de-scale my central heating system, probably 3 years ago. The Yellow Pages adverts are helpful in this respect, where tradesmen can list their areas of specialisation.

posted by essexjan 23 June | 05:33

I keep one downstairs, where there is no computer, so it gets used a bit – mostly for restaurant reservations before heading out.

There is second, competing phone book which is a total waste of paper.
It doesn't seem like it should be legal for strangers to leave crap on private property. At least the "real" book is from the phone company so there is a pre-existing business relationship. I wish the spambook company was forced to pay to mail it rather than sending their employees out to pollute our city.

posted by D.C. 23 June | 06:03

I looked up a phone number in the phone book for my mom last week. The only reason I used the phone book was because I was at mom's house and I hate her computer.

posted by fluffy battle kitten 23 June | 06:08

I use it all the time (admittedly, it's usually at work)--there are still things for which the phone book is the best choice, blue pages kinda stuff especially. And there are plenty of situations where, if the book and the computer are both right in front of you, the book's quicker.

Yeah, the spambook (wow, I love that) people, around here at least, aren't completely honest in their sales practices either. It's a weird situation.

posted by box 23 June | 06:55

What are the blue pages? Is this something new(ish), or can I attribute loss of blue pages knowledge to those brain cells that alcohol has killed off?

posted by taz 23 June | 07:03

I've been thinking about finding a phone book recently, to help in the ever-challenging quest of thinking up suitable names for my characters.

(Blue pages are generally listings of numbers for government agencies.)

posted by brina 23 June | 07:33

Thanks, brina! That was probably a part of the phone book when I was still in the U.S., so I'm putting it down to alcohol.

posted by taz 23 June | 07:42

I've used the phone book 3 or 4 times in the last few years - and it was to find repairmen for a heater and our washer. The Yellow Pages still seem better at grouping repair place, and the ads offer a little extra info on the services they provide. But I assume the main reason I keep the phonebook is just in case the power goes out.

posted by Slack-a-gogo 23 June | 08:49

I haven't used a phone book in at least ten years, and we get THREE of the damn things- one from the phone company, and two competing spambooks. They sit in a pile in the laundry room while we wait to find a place to recycle them, year after year after year.

posted by BoringPostcards 23 June | 11:02

Same here as what BP said. It's either the computer or 411.

posted by chewatadistance 24 June | 06:41

Blue pages (in Canada) are for government listings.

posted by acro 24 June | 08:15

/need oatmeal=-coffee/preview.

posted by acro 24 June | 08:18

← Bored w sidebar pix || Weekend plans →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN