Eliminate Yellow Pages

[NirvanaMan]

Not sure if this has been posted yet, if so forgive me. Did a quick search and couldn't find anything related.

So a personal pet peeve is all of the junk mail i receive and advertising crap left on my door. The worst culprit are those thick useless yellow page books I get every now and then. Do people still use the book? Eh, I'm sure some do, but I sure don't want one. It goes straight to the recycling bin.

For anyone who is interested, check out the following site:

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/

Forgot to mention that on this site you can opt-out of receiving yellow and white page directories. I guess that is kinda key. Too damn busy; no time to think. I opted out. Now, to get rid of the people that leave ads on my door every day.

[Morrigoon]

I don't like to receive them too often either, they pile up. Once a year or every other year would be fine (they do come in handy occasionally)

[Ghoulish Delight]

But, what will the bunnies destroy?

[Not Afraid]

I always laugh when I get calls from yellow page advertisers. I have NO desire to spend money advertising in the YP. It is a long-gone dinosaur of a former advertising age.

[innerSpaceman]

Please. I live in a condo complex, so there's towers of them stacked at each of 12 or so mail locations. Ugh. No one wants them. They sit there mouldering for months.

[Tom]

But, what will the bunnies destroy?

Whatever they can.

[Andrew]

Totally agreed. I can't remember the last time I needed a paper phone book. It must be years ago. We don't even have a landline anymore, but we just got a yellow pages dropped in front of our house a few days ago. It goes straight to the recycling bin but it's such a waste.

[Betty]

Mouldering. I like that word.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Actually, I will say that, if only because they've been slow to adapt to the internet, I've recently found the physical yellow pages useful for finding services such as plumbers or landscapers.

[Boss Radio]

Perhaps the time of their intended usefullness has passed, but consider this: you can't stand on your iPhone to reach the cookie jar.

[blueerica]

Haha, funny you should mention this... Just got two giant-ass YPs in the past week.

W.T.F?

[Kevy Baby]

Despite the fact that it means less print in the world, I will sign up for this as the phone book is useless to me.

This would be a good time to remind everyone that you can register yourself on a national DNM (Do Not Mail) list with the DMA (Direct Marketers Association) here: http://www.dmachoice.org/. Almost all mailers use this list to suppress their mailings. It's not a perfect system, but it is a very effective one.





(The last paragraph is copied from a previous post I made several months ago.)

[Strangler Lewis]

I have to disagree. I think the physical yellow pages are quicker than the online yellow pages in figuring out whether the service provider is right for you. The ads are more concise, and you're not directed to a web page for further information.

I have, however, abandoned the Thomas Guide.

[innerSpaceman]

oh, and i LIVE by the Thomas Guide. I NEVER follow internet directions, they always suck. And I hate having to zoom in and out of maps to get a feel for the area and how I get there from other areas.


Plus, I don't have internet access in my car.



And, yeah, I'll admit the physical phonebook has some uses. There are, as GD says, certain types of important services better advertised physically. The internet search engines are not necessarily geared to what serves you best as a customer. And I like having seating diagrams of all the big sports and entertainment venues in one easy place.

[Not Afraid]

ISM - Curmudgeon AND Luddite!

[Andrew]

When I was a motorcycle courier for a Century City law firm, the Thomas Guide was invaluable -- in fact most directions and destinations were given in T.G. map coordinates. But that was ... let's see ... fifteen years ago.

Now, if a business doesn't have a Web presence -- at the bare minimum, a listing in Google Maps/Local -- they're dead to me. I have Google Maps on my GPS-enabled phone, plus GPS in my car. Why do I need a thick wad of dead tree?

[Kevy Baby]

I often use internet directions as I have had good success with them (although when I used them for directions to CP & GD's place, it was incorrect). The Thomas Guide still resides in my and probably still will even when I get a GPS.

And I prefer the internet for seating guides as I usually can get a very specific location of where my actual seat is - not just the section I'm in.

[Disneyphile]

I love using internet maps. I tend to ignore directions, because I can seriously glance at a map and memorize it and make my own route. I've been 99% successful with that tactic so far. For last-minute destinations or remote places, I'll use my GPS in the car.

[Strangler Lewis]

The one time I had a problem with internet directions was when we drove from Switzerland to Paris, and it played like a comedy routine. I printed out our directions from Google Earth, and I swear we followed them to the letter. Nonetheless, we got lost in the hills and went twenty miles out of our way until we were dumped into a little town . . .right in front of a map store.

You're late, he said.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I often use internet directions as I have had good success with them (although when I used them for directions to CP & GD's place, it was incorrect). The Thomas Guide still resides in my and probably still will even when I get a GPS.
Really? To our current place? Which site did you get them from?

I've only just recently removed the Thomas Guide now that I can access google maps on my phone. I'm sad that their era is closing as it's a truly remarkable series of maps, but I cleaned my car out and realized that my TG had been resting unceremoniously beneath the passenger seat for close to a year without purpose.

[Kevy Baby]

Really? To our current place? Which site did you get them from?Yes: your condo in Orange. It was for your housewarming party (actually, the SECOND housewarming since we couldn't make the first).

I believe it was on Yahoo Maps. Although it looks like they are correct now (http://maps.yahoo.com/dd#mvt=m&lat=33.78534&lon=-117.875174&zoom=16&q1=560%20n%20brea%20blvd%2C%20brea%2C%20ca%2092821&q2=1910%20w%20palmyra%2C%20orange%2C%20ca&gid1=44683173).

[Ghoulish Delight]

Curious. Do you recall where it sent you?

[Kevy Baby]

Curious. Do you recall where it sent you?If I recall correctly, it had us turn RIGHT on Flower. But it has been so long, I don't remember much beyond that.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I wonder if it was just confusion over the fact that Flower turns left, then back right, while Palmyra turns left then turns into Flower at the intersection of Flower, Flower, and Palmyra. Whoever decided on the street naming in that area was clearly intoxicated.

[katiesue]

I believe Snowflake and I had the same issue. I know it had you go the wrong direction but we soon figured it out.

I just want the yellow pages people to quit calling my office literally 8-10 times a day and I have no idea the country of origin, but I honestly can barely understand them. And if I keep hanging up on you that means I really don't want to talk to you.

[Kevy Baby]

I just want the yellow pages people to quit calling my office literally 8-10 times a day and I have no idea the country of origin, but I honestly can barely understand them. And if I keep hanging up on you that means I really don't want to talk to you.Them and toner sales people.

[katiesue]

Actually we get - and I'm serious on various differnt lines at least 6-10 calls daily of a recording that tells us it's the second warning that the warranty on our car has expired. I've stayed on the line and hit the "unsubscirbe" button I can't count how many times and we still get tons of them. Plus we have no caller ID so no way to avoid them.

[Snowflake]

ISM - Curmudgeon AND Luddite!

Quoted for posterity

[Snowflake]

I believe Snowflake and I had the same issue. I know it had you go the wrong direction but we soon figured it out.


That we did, for Erica's fabulous farewell bash.

[Kevy Baby]

Actually we get - and I'm serious on various different lines at least 6-10 calls daily of a recording that tells us it's the second warning that the warranty on our car has expired. I've stayed on the line and hit the "unsubscribe" button I can't count how many times and we still get tons of them. Plus we have no caller ID so no way to avoid them.For your home line, even if you don't have caller ID, you can get a No-Caller ID Block. This will prevent all calls coming in without a caller ID. People with caller ID block can then chose to hit a special code (like *73 or something) that will show their phone number for that one call and they can reach you. If you explain to the phone company that you are getting harrassing calls, they will do this at no charge.

I am not sure if it applies in this case, but it is an idea.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

The crazy thing is that about 2 months ago AT&T dumped a big ugly blue plastic display at the library to dispense yellow pages. It's about 5 feet tall and holds a lot of books. The discussion among librarians was that it was hideous and that we'd get rid of it as soon as it was proven that no one wanted any. Turned out that that our biggest actual problem with it is that people took them so quickly that kids used the display as something to clamber on.

AT&T now comes once a week to keep it stocked. And yes, people take them, all the time. I guess it's just proof that people will take anything free. :rolleyes:

[Ghoulish Delight]

Or proof that, not shockingly, people on message boards are more computer literate and less dependent on print publications than average.

[katiesue]

since it's a business they can harass away.

My aunt has the no caller ID thing and my crazy mother and sister have theirs blocked. When I asked them why they would block their outgoing caller id they both told me to stop telemarketers. :rolleyes:

[Ghoulish Delight]

My mom's got her outgoing blocked too. There was a momentary impass between her and my sister, who had what Kevy mentioned (blocking of any "unknown" callers), until my mom figured out she could just program the code to temporarily unblock her ID into her speed dial.

Old people are weird.

[Strangler Lewis]

Or proof that, not shockingly, people on message boards are more computer literate and less dependent on print publications than average.

MESSAGE BOARDS RULE LIBRARIES FOR HOMELESS AND N*GGERS YELLOW PAGES WHAT A F*G MUST USE THEM TO WIPE YOUR D*CK THATS SO GAY

[katiesue]

My Mom can't figure out how to unblock it so she calls my Aunt from her cell phone.

[Kevy Baby]

So a personal pet peeve is all of the junk mail i receive and advertising crap left on my door. The worst culprit are those thick useless yellow page books I get every now and then. Do people still use the book? Eh, I'm sure some do, but I sure don't want one. It goes straight to the recycling bin.

For anyone who is interested, check out the following site:

http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/Would it be inappropriate/ironic to print out a whole bunch of copies of this to tell people about it?

[Capt Jack]

uh....I use em... :blush:

well, ok, I use em for targets when we go out to the desert on shooting trips http://www.bigblockdart.com/Smileys/classic/Violent_sterb003.gif


...but I use em none the less. :D

[€uroMeinke]

While I've long dispensed the yellow pages, and love playing about with GPS, I've found that in the places I need it most - hilly terrain and non-grid streets - it fails me. I've recently thought about picking up a new Thomas Guide to help me on certain Hollywood Hill quests.

[Pirate Bill]

Huh...I was just reading about phone books today in the newspaper (another dead print media, but a real necessity when sitting on the toilet...and yes...I was sitting on the toilet).

We still use them, mainly because it's still faster to use than the interwebs. And I like trying to figure out how to rip them in half. :D

[Tom]

Really? To our current place?

Actually, we had problematic directions the first time we went to your place as well. But our directions came from CP.

[lashbear]

You could use them in the toilet too... in an emergency...

[lindyhop]

I don't have caller ID on my home phone but I do have my number blocked when I call out. Why? It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now it's completely useless since I rarely use the landline. I use my cellphone as my main phone and I don't block the number. Makes sense, huh?

My dad made sure that his cellphone number was blocked because he got some random text message that freaked him out. I've never gotten around to pointing out that his home phone number is not blocked.

We must be related.:rolleyes:

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Actually, we had problematic directions the first time we went to your place as well. But our directions came from CP.:p Actually, not surprising.