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.