Friday, November 12, 2010

What's the world coming to?


I know I'm old fashioned, I still read the paper version of the newspaper. I like to read it in the mornings while I have my breakfast. Reading the newspaper online, wouldn't be the same for me. I do read bits and pieces of the news online all day long, but its more of a supplement. Sometimes the "news" in the newspaper is old, I read about the same thing online the day before, but I pay a bit more attention to it in the paper.


What got me started on this tangent, however, was something I read in the Ogden paper today. The article stated that Verizon and AT&T want to quit printing the white pages of the telephone directories. I want to get on my soap box and holler "what about people who don't have computers at home?" Does everyone have to have a computer or a fancy phone these days to keep up with society? What about the elderly and the low income who can't afford those luxuries or don't want to use them? I guess they'll be coming to the library or calling us to find a phone number for them - job security.


Robert Thompson, a pop culture professor at Syracuse University, was quoted in the article as joking "Anybody who doesn't have access to some kind of online way to look things up now is probably too old to be able to read the print in the white pages anyway." Somehow, that just makes me feel angry. Once we outlive the technology we are comfortable with, then I guess its just too bad for us. He'll be there one day, too.


It is getting harder and harder to find someone's phone number if they haven't given it to you personally. With so many unlisted cell phone numbers, good luck finding a number for most people even with a phone directory. Life certainly keeps changing and things you thought would never disappear are gone - now it is the telephone book.


Susan





No comments: