On Sat, 5 Mar 2011 22:47:40 -0500, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote:


"mm" wrote in message
.. .
OT

The phone books have been getting smaller. With the yellow pages, I
figure most places are still in business but they have moved their
advertising elsewhere.

But with the white pages, I'm not so sure. The new book is 1/3
smaller than the book 1 or 2 years ago. If they've just made their
numbers unpublished, I want to keep the book so I will still have
their numbers. But if they've abandoned their wired phones for cell
phones, there is no point to keeping the book.

Why is the White Pages 1/3 shorter than it was? How much is
unpublished and how much is just gone?

Thank you.


Since you seem to have a computer and internet access (you posted this), why
do you even access a paper phone book anymore? It's all on the internet.

I'm glad you asked.

In a few years, phone books will probably cease to exist.

They won't cease because I'll save the last ones they give me!

Actually you can't tell as much from most internet listings as you can
from the yellow pages**. When they are by categories, they usually
include anything remotely related to the category, so if I needed
someone to do something, they would also list a company that sold
supplies related to that, or barely related to that. **Unless you go
to the web page of each listing, which often requires going to google
to find the webpage. In certain categories, not everyone has a
webpage. My friend's ministorage has no webpage, just a yellow page
entry, and they mostly depend on word of mouth and people driving by
and are usually fully rented.

When I needed a chimney sweep, I totally passed by the leading sweep
in my area becausee the company name was Buttons and Cromwell, and it
said nothing about chimney sweeeping. I told him that when I talked
to him, but they have enough business they may not change anything.
(later I had happened to see one of his trucks with the drawing of a
sweep on the side)

In a Yellow Pages, they would likely have had a small, or large.
display ad nearby, with "See display ad on page 309" right under the
line that refers to them. At the least, their name would have been
in bold letters.

Plus you can look at a whole 2 pages at the same time, 200+ listings,
and even if there are display ads 40 or 50 or more.

Plus for some reason, when I tried to find a medical specialist in
yahoo.local.com, it says there are none near me, no matter what
specialty or what zip code I put in. And no, I'm not going to hire a
doctor by picking a name out of the phone book. What I do sometimes
is call a doctor, a GP or a type of specialist, and ask him to refer
me to someone else. I figure other doctors know who is good, or at
least who is not, better than those Rate your Doctor sites, where they
rate them on Did he keep me waiting, was he friendly. I don't care
too much about those things, just will he be right or wrong.