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Does anyone still make phone books? I can count the number of phone numbers I have memorized on one hand. Without access to a phone number registry of some sort

Does anyone still make phone books? I can count the number of phone numbers I have memorized on one hand. Without access to a phone number registry of some sort, I think these would have extremely limited value to most people. It's a neat project though.

sbarre 4y ago
When I was younger some of my friends who had very limited income could often not afford to top up their cell phone minutes, but still had their phone with an address book full of numbers in their pocket. I would lend them my phone and they'd call someone from the list in their phone using my phone. I feel like someone who relies on free or community phones would have a similar book of numbers that are meaningful to them. Of course if you're looking to call somewhere new, then that's definitely an issue.
- c22 4y ago
  When I was a kid I had a DTMF tone-dialer which was a small device with all my numbers in it and a small speaker in a rubber cup. I could select a number from the list then hold the speaker against the receiver of a (hardwired) telephone to dial the number. I actually had two of these, the other of which I modified to simulate the signalling sound of dimes and quarters dropping into a payphone.
binarymax 4y ago
Looks like white pages can be ordered for free[0], but yellow pages ceased print copy in 2017. [0] https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/white-pages https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/white-pages
_joel 4y ago
In the UK they were still about up until recently but became smaller and smaller. I've not had a landline for years now so not sure if they're still released now. I'd imagine not, but who knows.
tclancy 4y ago
Sadly, they stopped giving them out around here almost a decade ago. Made me sad, because we got them in early October and every year I would hang onto it until near the end of the night on Halloween when some over-aged kid doing the ironic tour called out “Trick or treat” and I’d say “trick” and drop it in their pillowcase.
twobitshifter 4y ago
I see what you’re saying but if you don’t have a phone, you’ll remember the numbers you need or at least write them down somewhere and create your own registry. If you don’t have that there’s always 411
AussieWog93 4y ago
>I think these would have extremely limited value to most people. Quite recently in Australia, every single phone booth in the country was made free to use. When asked why this was the case, the spokesperson for Telstra (the company that owned them) explained that one of the major users of phone booths were people escaping from domestic violence situations. Apparently it was very common for abusive partners to control phone access (and access to cash, too, hence why they made the network free). Point is, don't underestimate the importance of obsolete services!
- jessaustin 4y ago
  Seems to indicate that Telstra is better than every single American phone company?
  - AussieWog93 4y ago
    Based on what I've heard from the people who work there, not at all. :P But even cold hard capitalism explains this one. The good optics that come from helping victims of domestic violence would far, far outweigh the negligible income they get from the booths themselves.
weberer 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-1-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-1-1

sbarre 4y ago

When I was younger some of my friends who had very limited income could often not afford to top up their cell phone minutes, but still had their phone with an address book full of numbers in their pocket. I would lend them my phone and they'd call someone from the list in their phone using my phone. I feel like someone who relies on free or community phones would have a similar book of numbers that are meaningful to them. Of course if you're looking to call somewhere new, then that's definitely an issue.

c22 4y ago
When I was a kid I had a DTMF tone-dialer which was a small device with all my numbers in it and a small speaker in a rubber cup. I could select a number from the list then hold the speaker against the receiver of a (hardwired) telephone to dial the number. I actually had two of these, the other of which I modified to simulate the signalling sound of dimes and quarters dropping into a payphone.

binarymax 4y ago

Looks like white pages can be ordered for free[0], but yellow pages ceased print copy in 2017. [0] https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/white-pages https://www.verizon.com/about/our-company/white-pages

_joel 4y ago

In the UK they were still about up until recently but became smaller and smaller. I've not had a landline for years now so not sure if they're still released now. I'd imagine not, but who knows.

tclancy 4y ago

Sadly, they stopped giving them out around here almost a decade ago. Made me sad, because we got them in early October and every year I would hang onto it until near the end of the night on Halloween when some over-aged kid doing the ironic tour called out “Trick or treat” and I’d say “trick” and drop it in their pillowcase.

twobitshifter 4y ago

I see what you’re saying but if you don’t have a phone, you’ll remember the numbers you need or at least write them down somewhere and create your own registry. If you don’t have that there’s always 411

AussieWog93 4y ago

>I think these would have extremely limited value to most people. Quite recently in Australia, every single phone booth in the country was made free to use. When asked why this was the case, the spokesperson for Telstra (the company that owned them) explained that one of the major users of phone booths were people escaping from domestic violence situations. Apparently it was very common for abusive partners to control phone access (and access to cash, too, hence why they made the network free). Point is, don't underestimate the importance of obsolete services!

jessaustin 4y ago
Seems to indicate that Telstra is better than every single American phone company?
- AussieWog93 4y ago
  Based on what I've heard from the people who work there, not at all. :P But even cold hard capitalism explains this one. The good optics that come from helping victims of domestic violence would far, far outweigh the negligible income they get from the booths themselves.

weberer 4y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-1-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-1-1