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Reminds of the days when your name, address, and phone number were automatically listed in the phone book. You had to pay the phone company to not list your in
by devoutsalsa 3y ago
Reminds of the days when your name, address, and phone number were automatically listed in the phone book. You had to pay the phone company to not list your information.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_directory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_directory
- firecall 3y agoBeing ex-directory was a status symbol in the UK!
- nonethewiser 3y agoSidebar: it used to be completely normal to publish your phone number and address publicly yet far less people had the information. The people who had it were basically a subset of people in your local community. Looking back at this point in time, the world felt so huge because it wasn't so connected and centralized.
- cobbaut 3y agoPhone books were local, as in the neighbouring couple hundred thousand people max, so about one in ten thousand less than current social media. And, at least here, they contained last name and one letter of the first name. No information on gender/interests/articles read/ads clicked/locations visited/family/friends/devices used/apps installed/items bought/...
- 6510 3y agoWith "The phone book" they mean dozens if not hundreds of regional phone books.
- rando_dfad 3y agoand cross-referenced with your location at all times, all of your shopping habits, your viewing and reading habits, and every person you communicate with? In an easily searchable database? Sooo tempted to go Goodwin here and mention a nice use of computers from the late 1930s...