Tag: IYP

Paperless Yellow Pages

PaperlessPetition.org will expedite an end to this needless environmental waste, educate consumers on free and easy alternatives, and shed light on the growing inaccuracy of readership statistics that drive advertisers to still invest in this antiquated medium

who can deny, the unsolicited distribution of phone books is absolutely absurd? First of all, phone books are terrible for the environment. Just consider the massive amount of energy consumed for their production and distribution. 540 million are doled out every year. And even though many are 40% post-consumer recycled, phone books still require enormous quantities of paper, ink and oil. When we throw them out–usually within 5 seconds of finding them on the doorstep–they steal space in the local landfill. Second, NOBODY EVER USES PHONE BOOKS! Honestly, when’s the last time you opened one? They’re absolutely outmoded dinosaurs. Who needs them when there’s Google 411? Besides, doesn’t everybody know the best escort services are listed in the alt-weekly? Ok, ok. I’m being a bit extreme. Of course, not everyone has internet access and many people use phone books for local listings. Yet, given today’s information age, is it not possible to have a strict solicit-only system for these energy and resource sucking manuscripts? I raise my glass to such a concept. If you agree, here are some simple ways to join the fight against useless phone book distribution.

unclear why this travesty hasn’t been put to sleep yet.
obsolete technologyobsolete technology

walking around here today, i was greeted by these 2 sad views: stacks of unloved yellow pages, delivered unasked to disinterested customers. this is what an industry in transformation looks like. maybe this helps to illustrate my fitness allegory, and why going to the GYM is not the answer for these companies.

one shouldn’t underestimate the “Gore” effect, where there is a consumer backlash against pillaging our forests to produce a product that has limited value and that few people use.

+1 stop wasting that paper already!

You’re asking me to tell my advertisers to invite criticism? You’re asking me to actually create a platform that lets that criticism happen? Are you nuts?

When I answer the phone I usually say “James Governor”. Here is a helpful hint – when someone says their name when they answer the phone, its best to not then say “Could I speak to Mr Governor?”

yp sales droids have some learning to do

online media companies collectively will sell more ads in local markets this year than such individual hometown media as newspapers, broadcasters and yellow pages

excellent.

Maps Growth

How do these smaller UGC-focused review sites compare against the bigger players in local search? Yahoo! Local and Google Maps, which includes local content, received more than 10X the market share of visits of Insider Pages in February 2007. Traffic to Google Maps increased by 26% from January to February 2007.

Slander local business

This kind of slander could destroy a small business, like my auto mechanic. It should be criminal. Insider pages knowing paid people to create fraudulent reviews and given the statistics of the reviews they made no effort manage the problem. I presume it would be a piece of cake for some lawyer to find 1000 businesses slandered like my auto mechanic has been and bring suit against the various parties in this example. Something more severe than letting the market punish them is appropriate.
This is the dark side of social networking (talent scrapping) sites. Get the talent to commit the crimes you need committed. The social networking site owner as troll. In the worst case the business is looking for a way to force, blackmail the local businesses into participating at the site. Angie’s List has been accused of that.

oy. no user-generated accuracy, in this case