Re:My Addressbook? Keep it. Telephone numbers are a disgrace...
by peterwwillis on Thursday February 09, 2012 @10:50AM
(#3571532)
I think we have segregated our information services for specific uses, and the phone numbers seem to work within that paradigm.
If someone needs to contact me about a specific issue or we need to have a back-and-forth conversation, or if they just want to become my friend, they'll probably ask for my Facebook (don't have one) or e-mail address.
If someone wants a date, or to call me maybe once about something like a job, they'll ask for a phone number.
The phone number doesn't reveal anything about you - hell, you can't even find someone's name in the White Pages most of the time. It's an impersonal identifier. The e-mail address, Facebook, Twitter, etc can reveal all sorts of personal details about you.
I wouldn't give up on phone numbers yet because there exists no alternative social replacement for impersonal contact. Silly I know, but social interaction is silly.
If someone needs to contact me about a specific issue or we need to have a back-and-forth conversation, or if they just want to become my friend, they'll probably ask for my Facebook (don't have one) or e-mail address.
If someone wants a date, or to call me maybe once about something like a job, they'll ask for a phone number.
The phone number doesn't reveal anything about you - hell, you can't even find someone's name in the White Pages most of the time. It's an impersonal identifier. The e-mail address, Facebook, Twitter, etc can reveal all sorts of personal details about you.
I wouldn't give up on phone numbers yet because there exists no alternative social replacement for impersonal contact. Silly I know, but social interaction is silly.