Going Paperless
 

For years I have subscribed to a newspaper. In fact since I moved to Long Beach, I've subscribed to two. In days long past, I'd spend my Sunday mornings lounging with the paper a a few cups of coffee. During the week, I'd read the paper before going to work, or if pressed for time I'd take it along to read during lunch.

Alas, those days are no more. While I still Subscribe to two papers I switched to weekend only service as the weekday papers piled up on my porch only to be collected and dumped unread into our recycling bin. The same has been happening to the weekend paper. Last year, I even lied to the times and said I was on vacation - for a year - forgoing that edition for awhile.

I still hold to this foolish notion that any reasonably educated person must subscribe to a newspaper - but I must confess, I can't remember the last time I read one. The news these days comes to me from the internet, or NPR as I commute to and from work.

I think it time to make the break, to aknowledge that a traditional paper news source no longer serves my needs, but I still seem to have a hard time making the call to cancel.

Any of you made the transition to paperless news? Any words of encouragement to help me abandon this anachronism and fully embrace the electronic media?

We still get the Sunday paper...in case we ever need to drain some fried food or clean a mirror or suddenly need to pack some breakables into a box. I think the only time I ever open anymore...nope, can't think of any. All my news comes from NPR and online sources. I can get more comics online than are printed in the paper. Our ReplayTV provides an on screen guide, so no need for the printed TV schedule. Websites are a much better source of entertainment information, so no need for the calander section.

Literally, we only keep it around for the paper, not for the content.

But, what will I read when I have my morning cigarette?

The surgeon general's warning?

I've been paperless for four years now. When I moved here, I didn't subscribe to the paper here. I don't miss it. I'm registered to view the local paper electronically, so if there is something I want to read about that's too local to be on my Internet home page (msn.com) I just log on and read the article online. I used to read the front page of it every day at Starbucks, but since I cut out my daily trip, I don't even do that any more. I find that all the news I need is on my homepage, or Google News (or ESPN.com...let's face it, the sports page was the main reason I subscribed to the old paper.)

My cats might miss it, though. I used to line their litterbox with it....

I used to read the paper every morning at breakfast, a tradition that started when I was 14. A lot of that was comic strips, but I did read some actual news sometimes too.

I got bored of the comics and I got sick of the news, and GD never read the paper at all. Like he said, the Replay got rid of our need for a TV schedule, and Fandango/MovieTickets.com got rid of our need for movie listings, one of my old requirements.

I'm starting to think that even just getting the Sunday paper is a waste. It's so cheap though. If there is a cheaper, once-a-month alternative, I'll take it. I do love having newsprint around to use as paper.

So now I read my book at breakfast, or sometimes check email etc, and I don't even miss the paper at all.

I've been paperless as well for a long time. Amist while I was in school, I had my computer set up to automatically record the early edition of KTLA news, and sync it to my Pocket PC by the time I woke up at 8. Then with the AvantGo feeds of tech news and the such, all my news is digital. Plus, with all the Elect. store ads online, there's no purpose for the paper anymore.

My local paper's been free online for years. No registration needed. I can't remember the last time I bought a paper. Online doesn't need to be recycled, yet the archived content is also available. I don't know why anyone would buy the paper version, except to read in the airport.

Of course, my first thought when I saw this thread was, "They're installing a bidet?"

Thank you!! Thats what I thought too!
Or at least that he was talking about being without toilet tissue.

I thought he was referring to the mythical paperless office, where all is done with computer files to conserve paper..

We receive the paper, but are cutting back to Sunday only, as we have several bird cages we need to paper. I find that I have already read most of the content on the internet, long before it hits our local rag.

oh oh!! I work in one of those! There's more paper now than ever!

I thought this was where he was going as well. It does fit with his profession after all.

Father in process of trying to find a buyer for his Wholesale distributorship of local paper..........purchased the runs back in 1976 for $200,000. You would think with inflation and everything it would be worth at least 5 times that now....you would think.

He has only had two offers and the best one was for $77,000. :(

Read your local papers as if my dads retirement counted on it :eek:

I was thinking he was going to be offering advice.

Maybe he learned how to use the three seashells.

While I abhor the editorial policies of the LA Times, I still purchase it on days where I have lunch alone. For what I hit, it is just the right amount of time for a one hour lunch.

I usually start with Steve Harvey's "Only in LA" column, read the rest of the Metro section (yeah, I know it isn't called the Metro section anymore), hits the comics, and then peruse the Business Section (and catch one last comic). Time permitting, I might also hit the Sports section (although I always already know how the Dodgers are doing). When Fry's has a six or eight-page insert, I always read that, even though I never buy anything there. Just an odd habit.

It would probably be cheaper to subscribe, but I would be throwing away (read: wasting) too many. I almost always fold up and re-assemble the paper so that someone else may enjoy it.

I guess I am just addicted to the tactile reading of the newspaper.

:snap: :snap: :snap: for the Demolition Man reference. Unfortunately, I cannot give you mojo at the moment.

I love to read my morning newspaper. It is my, me time. We all need some time that is just for us alone and my morning tub and paper is my, me time.

Our family went through the exact same thing. We found that no one read the paper on a regular basis. At the time, we were recieving two. We cut back to one, then to just one on Sundays. After a few months, those too gathered in the recycling pile still in the plastic. :rolleyes:

We've been paperless for about three years now.

:snap:

I have to make my husband watch that movie.

i just cancelled our paper, was going through the same thing, we would get them, read maybe the front page, and they would stack up on our trashcan or get tossed outside into the garbage right away... seemed like a waste of money to me

I get Sunday only, for the coupons, sale flyers and comics. The Albany TU is pretty lame so if I got another paper it would be the NY Times. I love their travel section.

You shouldn't feel bad about going paperless. Go for it!

Well - I cancelled the Press-Telegram last weeek with my last bill, but this evening I've already gotten a visit by a poor street kid working his way through college and a phone call from the cancellation department to try to sell me on Sunday only service. I recall the LA Times were equally as annoying with their pitches to get me to re-subscribe. I'm beginning to wonde if I shouldn't got back to last years tactic and put myself on a year long vacation hold.

Can't we specify that they do not call us?

Nope. That's one of the exceptions to the do-not-call list, if you've done business with them in the past.

I think we have to pretend to move - out of the country

I went "paperless" a few years ago and it feels great. I am helping the environment! Oh, I still subscribe to the dailies, only I pay extra for the version printed entirely on leather.

What about if you tell them not to call, record each time you say that, then, then, then, I don't know.

In the last month, I've gotten two renewal bills from the Orlando Sentinel. The first I opened before realizing it wasn't my name on the envelope (but it was my address). The second I put back in the mail with "no such person at this address--return to sender" written in large obnoxious letters on the envelope.

Funny thing is, I have never received a newspaper at this address.

I had a problem up north with a local newspaper calling every few weeks to ask if I wanted to subscribe. They didn't take no for an answer, so I finally asked to speak to a manager. I told him I didn't want to subscribe to his silly paper, and that even if the paper became suddenly non-silly, that I still wouldn't subscribe since their calls had been so annoying. I asked to be put on their no call list. It worked.

I thought I should ressurect this thread, if only to high-light the absurditiy of the LA Times - over a year later after cancelling our subscription, they have finally stopped delivery and we've finally gone paperless.

Yay! I've been paperless for years and love it. I do miss, sometime, the Sunday ritual of the newspaper and a leisurely read on the couch. As others said before, the news is so old and I get all the local entertainment, etc. online. So now I enjoy my Sundays with a book or some nice music.

I have never, as an adult, actually subscribed to the paper. Though when I worked in the city I bought the Chronicle from a box almost every day for the bus ride home.

Now, actual physical newspapers are only touched when we go out for breakfast on the weekend.

I have never subscribed to a paper and it's rare that I purchase one.

My life can hardly be considered "paperless," though.

Our Sunday subscription is coming in handy for packing. I'd be annoyed if I had to go out and buy paper for this. I'm already annoyed that we had to buy boxes.

When I moved, I didn't need newspapers for packing. I used the shredded paper from when I had to sort through all the paper that haunts my life (that stuff made GREAT packing material). I also filled several recycling bins.