411

N5922S

N5922S

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Messages
514
Display Name
Display name:
N5922S
Not too long ago, you could access white pages in any podunk community online. Now, apparently, you can't look up Uncle Zeke in East Jesus without subscribing to some ripoff service :mad2::no:. Local phone companies still publish phone books; is there a source I haven't found yet? :idea::confused:
 
Yeah, there is lots of free lookup services, like whitepages.com. They will list whatever is published in a phone book.

But yeah if you need an unlisted number, you may need to go to a paid service but normally Google or Zabasearch will find it if it isn't too obscure.
 
We get at least two competing directories delivered here free every year. I can't remember the last time I opened one of them, but they sure do a nice job of holding down the recycling bin on windy days.

Up until the late 1970s, the phone companies treated their number data as proprietary, giving them a monopoly on publishing phone books. When deregulation forced them to open the data to competing directories, phone books, IMHO, became much less useful. Businesses seem to choose to advertise in only one set of yellow pages, or none at all, and even the business white pages don't list businesses I know are right down the street from me and have phones.

The phone companies also have online directories, but they list only the phone numbers of businesses, not their web URLs, unless the businesses pay a fee. And you'll rarely find hours of operation in phone company ads in either medium.

For personal calls to friends whose numbers I don't have, I usually e-mail them and ask for their numbers. It never occurs to me to get the phone book out of the hall closet.

In fairness to the phone companies, I realize not everyone shaes my digital orientation to info-gathering. My wife still prefers the "low density analog optical storage" technique.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Yeah, there is lots of free lookup services, like whitepages.com. They will list whatever is published in a phone book.

But yeah if you need an unlisted number, you may need to go to a paid service but normally Google or Zabasearch will find it if it isn't too obscure.
Click to expand...

Eau contraire. Have you tried whitepages.com lately? Or any of the other formerly free services? I can't find a single one that provides a # without a fee. :mad2:
 
And here I thought you were talking about the Cessna 411.
 
Or by replacing it with a 421.
 
N5922S said:
Not too long ago, you could access white pages in any podunk community online. Now, apparently, you can't look up Uncle Zeke in East Jesus without subscribing to some ripoff service :mad2::no:. Local phone companies still publish phone books; is there a source I haven't found yet? :idea::confused:
Click to expand...

www.superpages.com

No guarantees - but it usually works for me. Has both white and yellow page sections.

Dave
 
N5922S said:
Eau contraire. Have you tried whitepages.com lately? Or any of the other formerly free services? I can't find a single one that provides a # without a fee. :mad2:
Click to expand...

Wow, you're right. And I just used it last maybe, what, a month ago?

I just did a Zabasearch on myself. It worked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top