Slog - Comments on Dept. of Unwantedness http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness To all the commenters on yesterday's post about not wanting phone books and getting them anyway: you're so right. It's bullshit. The terrorists--the Yellow Pages people--are winning. Look at this monument to the old way of doing things in the lobby of my apartment building, as of a couple hours ago. Someone should case these things in adobe and make houses out of them for all the homeless left in a lurch in this summer rain. Homeless people, of course, don't have the internet. The first commenter on that crazy post yesterday starring the phone book executive said: "My... Copyright 2008 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:22:22 -0800 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 00:05:19 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Jude Fawley Public Intern! Public! Intern! Public Intern! (I'm late)

]]> Jude Fawley http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794736 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794736 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:34:53 -0800 Comment by Dee in SF Praise Public Intern!!

]]> Dee in SF http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794737 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794737 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:36:15 -0800 Comment by marty Damn! I just put about 40 of those fuckers in the recycling bin of my apartment building a few weeks ago. I would LOVE to have sent them back. Please make this an annual or semi-annual or however often those things come out - event.

]]> marty http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794745 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794745 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:52:05 -0800 Comment by capitol building d00d those phone books have been piled up there by the laundry room for years.

]]> capitol building http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794755 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794755 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:04:36 -0800 Comment by COMTE Any bets that the phone company won't accept them? Better to find out who they subcontract out the distributing to, and drop them off there!

]]> COMTE http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794757 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794757 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:06:20 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Whatever you do, don't toss them onto I-5.

I think the front steps of King County and City Council buildings would be far more appropriate.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794761 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794761 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:12:29 -0800 Comment by matthew e I'm using a stack of 4 phone books strategically placed under my aging bed frame to provide extra lumbar support. Repurpose!

]]> matthew e http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794771 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794771 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:21:21 -0800 Comment by why Why do landlords accept these books. Do the phone companies have some special law on their side that makes them drop off phone books everywhere? They were necessary years ago, but no more.

Someone should start a business of picking up unwanted phone books. They'd make a mint.

]]> why http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794772 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794772 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:21:46 -0800 Comment by rob Public Intern! Public Intern!

]]> rob http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794775 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794775 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:24:21 -0800 Comment by 1time most of the stranger's new ideas are stupid, but this public intern thing is gold.

]]> 1time http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794776 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794776 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:25:06 -0800 Comment by curiousadam I can't wait for instructions on where to drop them...they have been sitting in my condo lobby for weeks untouched. Not to mention all the untouched ones at my office!

]]> curiousadam http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794784 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794784 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:39:41 -0800 Comment by An Interested Party Please note that Dex is no longer owned by Qwest. Who owns them now? Why Dex Media, which is in turn partially owned by the Carlyle Group. One of Dex Media's agents can be found at:
Dex Media, Inc.
198 Inverness Drive West
Englewood, Colorado 80112
Telephone: 303-784-2900
Facsimile: 303-784-1915

They may also have a local sales office.

]]> An Interested Party http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794790 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794790 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 17:45:51 -0800 Comment by Hypocrisy alert! Call the Editor ASAP Stacks of unwanted, free paper left around all over the city when the same content could be found online.....Hmm, doesn't that sound familiar to....THE STRANGER all over town??

And by the way, can't your delivery crews just deliver by bus?

]]> Hypocrisy alert! Call the Editor ASAP http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794794 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794794 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:02:08 -0800 Comment by HEY! Gosh, as the initiator of this public intern assignment I sure hope everything goes right for the him when he dumps those books at someone's door.
I'm going to feel responsible for any consequences...

]]> HEY! http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794795 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794795 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:02:25 -0800 Comment by Jessica @13: Nobody walks into my workplace and says "hey, do you have any phonebooks?", but they do ask for the Stranger. Plus, I have yet to see a phonebook distribution guy pick up the last issue of the phone book for recycling (or wherever your distro guys take them) when he drops off the current issue.

]]> Jessica http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794800 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794800 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:18:44 -0800 Comment by JessB SWEET ASS! I expect beautiful pictures of a huge mountain of phone books right on the phone company's door. That will learn em. What a great idea.

]]> JessB http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794810 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794810 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:34:42 -0800 Comment by Gabe Global I'm in. When and where?

]]> Gabe Global http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794850 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794850 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:16:56 -0800 Comment by Crafty Cat 1. Don't forget: The Yellow Pages have two very thin magnets on each and every book. You can save these and paint/draw/screen print or whatever on them. Instant fun!

2. Inspired by Jonah's earlier post, I took my dad to Daly's Drive-In. After we ate, we just so happened to need the Yellow Pages. The guy at Daly's handed me one.They were using it to prop up the cashiers microphone.

]]> Crafty Cat http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794851 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794851 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:17:15 -0800 Comment by stan They wouldn’t save money if they didn’t give them to people who don’t want them. Fact is, they make money on advertising. If they didn’t spam everyone with these things, nobody would advertise with them, because the number of people willing to look at those ads would be minuscule.

Another case of it being more profitable to pretend a problem doesn’t exist to maintain an existing, broken business model.

]]> stan http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794863 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794863 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 22:01:02 -0800 Comment by violet Wow. Just a couple of weeks ago, and ad salesperson for the Yellow Pages came into my business and argued with my business partner about why we should advertise in the Yellow Pages. She was shown our stack of NEVER EVEN OPENED phone books, and seemed shocked beyond all belief when we informed her that the internet is a much better way to go.

]]> violet http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794951 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794951 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:11:43 -0800 Comment by Kristin Bell I still use the phone book sometimes. It has lots of useful information. AND I'm an internet junkie. I don't know what that says about me or the phone books, but I thought I'd stick up for the phone book. Like, what if you need someone's phone number and the power is out? Your phone book would come in handy then! :)

]]> Kristin Bell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794958 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c794958 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:43:39 -0800 Comment by Luke You know when you sell ads for the stranger, you make more money if you have more newspapers in circulation?

It's got to be something similar with the yellow pages. The more that exist, whether or not they get used, the more money the yellow page terrorists make on ad revenue.

]]> Luke http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795008 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795008 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:07:23 -0800 Comment by Essex all this semi hysteria is just plain silly

JUST RECYCLE THE FUCKING NOT USED PHONE BOOKS

some of you people need to get a life

if this is the content of your worries, need to go help in a soup kitchen

]]> Essex http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795026 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795026 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:08:15 -0800 Comment by SDA in SEA @13:

A) The Stranger is not delivered, unwanted, to every fucking household, apartment building, and office in the state. Its entirely optional.

B) The Stranger is not approximately 4000 pages, nor does it weigh as much as a car battery. Or roughly the size and weight of the Oxford Unabridged Dictionary.

C) Lots of us read the Stranger online. No tree killing necessary.

]]> SDA in SEA http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795081 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795081 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:05:55 -0800 Comment by Natalya I routinely get three copies at my house: one for each door. It makes me insane. Since they are unsolicted by me I mark them "return to sender" and mail them....

]]> Natalya http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795211 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/dept_of_unwantedness#c795211 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 00:05:19 -0800