[WheelyGuy]

I miss the old phone books. Can't find anything anymore without internet access. And I live in Nashville and was effected by the Christmas AT&T bombing. I lost phone, internet, and cell phone service for almost two days. Being without internet connectivity these days is a challenge since everything seems to be web based now.

I also used to be able to go to a couple of web sites (google, anywho.com) and put in a phone number for a reverse lookup and see who might be calling me from some number that I have not seen before. But that option seems to have disappeared. You seem to have to pay for whatever "report" those services produce before you see it. That's buying a pig in a poke as the old saying goes.

Anybody know a good site where one could still get phone information without having to pay a fee? Even to just look up somebody like you used to be able to do in a book.

I don't fight change per se, but not all changes are for the better IMO.

 

[CoalcrackerAl]

My neighbor has a body shop. And on his shop phone. He gets a lot of junk calls. He said the only reason he keeps the shop phone. Is because he's in the yellow pages. I told him no one uses a phone book. His customers know his cell number. But any ways. If i need a local number i use google. Been successful with it. The who is calling me. My trick i let the voice mail pick up. If it's important they will let a message.

 

[rmichael63]

true story ... years ago before i was married i DID NOT have a cell phone, only a landline for the phone and internet. Come home from work and the phone is dead, so i get the yellow / white pages out to look up the service number for the phone company, then it dawned on me "how in the hell am i going to call them" had to drive down to the local drinking establishment and use the PAY PHONE in the parking lot JUST to call in a repair to my landline ... i no longer have the yellow / white pages or the landline ... i do have a cell phone now just passed the one year anniversary back in september of 2020 ... #trustory ...

 

[Corndog]

I will tell you my problem........my brain cells devoted to phone numbers are now assigned to ammo price calculations.

I have a smart phone and all my numbers are stored in CONTACTS in there. I have even forgot my own damn cell phone number before and had to look myself up in CONTACTS

 

[Weldonjr2001]

Plus they were great bullet penetration test media.

 

[rmichael63]

I will tell you my problem........my brain cells devoted to phone numbers are now assigned to ammo price calculations.

I have a smart phone and all my numbers are stored in CONTACTS in there. I have even forgot my own damn cell phone number before and had to look myself up in CONTACTS

my one stipulation i had when i finally agreed to get a cell phone, the landline number had to become my cell number so i wouldn't have to go thru the hassle of changing all of our accounts and such ... they said no problem which surprised the hell out of me ...

 

[Corndog]

my one stipulation i had when i finally agreed to get a cell phone, the landline number had to become my cell number so i wouldn't have to go thru the hassle of changing all of our accounts and such ... they said no problem which surprised the hell out of me ...

Good idea. I was a late adopter at work with cell phones. Mine is a work phone and they insisted I get one, they pay for it. It is a top of the line i11 and I now can not get along without it.

 

[Jack Ruger]

I will tell you my problem........my brain cells devoted to phone numbers are now assigned to ammo price calculations.

I have a smart phone and all my numbers are stored in CONTACTS in there. I have even forgot my own damn cell phone number before and had to look myself up in CONTACTS

Corndog, you funny

 

[Corndog]

Corndog, you funny

Sad thing is it is the honest truth. Since I work only 2 days a week, I forget stuff and I am a project manager, so that is not good. My office walls are covered with yellow sticky notes. I should use my phone for that stuff but me and the smart phone don't get along as well as we should.

I do take my job seriously....

 

[Jack Ruger]

Sad thing is it is the honest truth. Since I work only 2 days a week, I forget stuff and I am a project manager, so that is not good. My office walls are covered with yellow sticky notes. I should use my phone for that stuff but me and the smart phone don't get along as well as we should.

I do take my job seriously....

View attachment 150378

I work in the Highway const industry, so we wear the same type of garb.

 

[Corndog]

I work in the Highway const industry, so we wear the same type of garb.

Cool, we do some KYTC work from time to time. My clients are mostly in the power generation sector now. I cut my teeth on small commercial projects, but now am doing more heavy construction.

I would rather be hanging off the side of a cooling tower than standing next to an open highway...........be safe out there.

 

[Jekylmeister]

At the risk of starting an entirely different offshoot........ I have worked for almost 40 years in IT. Obviously, I like technology, but to the OP's point, all it takes is a blink and you'll have no techology. I personally keep a relatively new US Atlas stashed away in case I need to get on the move without a GPS. Without power or cell towers, society would go down the crapper in Very short order. Oh, and I remember exactly two phone numbers and they belong to older parents who still have the same landline they had back when we 'had' to remember them. I don't even know my wife's cell #. My phone does.

 

[Corndog]

@Jekylmeister , one EMP blast and nothing electrical outside a Faraday (sp?) cage will survive.

I have one motorcycle that may still run and maybe my tractor.

If all of society knew how tenuous our existence is on this rock hurtling through space, not many would sleep well.

Ignorance is bliss.

 

[Jekylmeister]

@Jekylmeister , one EMP blast and nothing electrical outside a Faraday (sp?) cage will survive.

I have one motorcycle that may still run and maybe my tractor.

If all of society knew how tenuous our existence is on this rock hurtling through space, not many would sleep well.

Ignorance is bliss.

Yes sir. I have read William Forstchen's books. They are indeed terrifying and the scenario is entirely possible. I think the only thing I have that would continue to run is my lawn mower and that won't be much help. (I do maintain a small radio in a make-shift Faraday, tho)

 

[Jack Ruger]

Cool, we do some KYTC work from time to time. My clients are mostly in the power generation sector now. I cut my teeth on small commercial projects, but now am doing more heavy construction.

I would rather be hanging off the side of a cooling tower than standing next to an open highway...........be safe out there.

Thanks & same to you on safety. Starting a bridge project and will spend most of my time behind the barrier wall in the zone, away from the crazies.

 

[Jack Ruger]

Yes sir. I have read William Forstchen's books. They are indeed terrifying and the scenario is entirely possible. I think the only thing I have that would continue to run is my lawn mower and that won't be much help. (I do maintain a small radio in a make-shift Faraday, tho)

If the zombie apocalypse hits and you keep a nice lawn, they may skip messing w you. 😁

 

[Jekylmeister]

If the zombie apocalypse hits and you keep a nice lawn, they may skip messing w you. 😁

Well, there's that.

 

[brnwlms]

Sad thing is it is the honest truth. Since I work only 2 days a week, I forget stuff and I am a project manager, so that is not good. My office walls are covered with yellow sticky notes. I should use my phone for that stuff but me and the smart phone don't get along as well as we should.

I do take my job seriously....

View attachment 150378

On your sticky note problem. Do what I told the president of my company to do. He is less tech savvy than you. He only uses the phone, camera, and calculator on his phone. So, he writes things down and when he goes out to jobs I got tired of him calling me to go check this sticky or that. I told him that when he writes a sticky, take a picture of it with your phone. And when you throw the sticky away, delete the photo. Works so far.

 

[FireEscape]

My answering machine (home, landline) says that we don't have caller ID and get too many shit calls (exact wording) trying to sell vehicle warranties to answer so start leaving a message and we will probably pick up. 9 out of 10 callers do not wait for the beep before hanging up.
Long before cell phones I was working late and thought that I should call home. We had just moved (so the number wasn't in a phone book yet), I didn't remember our new number and had to call directory assistance, once I had the number I said that I would write it down since it was mine and we both laughed at me.

Bruce

 

[rman]

I retired from IT in 2010. I was involved in building Windows and Linux servers that ran the State's web sites and applications. One would think I would be pretty squared away when it comes to technology. I got a cell phone about 2005 because I did a lot of hunting out of state. My wife wanted to be able to contact me in an emergency and for me to call 911 if I had an emergency. It was just an old flip phone and it served me well. It finally quit and everyone told me I needed to join the cool kids and get a smart phone. About a year ago, I bought an iPhone. Get an iPhone they said. They're simple to learn and work great. Well...after about a year of cussing and discussing, I get by pretty well. Some things still drive me crazy; texting for example. I'm been a touch typist since I was in high school. Those itty bitty keys that type when you breathe on them really hack me off. I finally found that I could use the microphone and speak my texts. Yee Haw! That works a whole lot better.