These were great! Instead of having to press a lot of "delete message" buttons on an answering machine or a VM system, you could just sweep these into the waste basket (unread of course) in just a couple of seconds.

What are the m and of lines for?

Remember them? I still have some from when I worked as a graphic designer in a print shop in the 80's.

These are still used by secretaries in 2024. I did this up until I quit my office job. Not every company uses a voice mail.

I used to flip them over, the back was plain, and write DAVE RANG.

“Dave who ?” “Didn’t say” “Did he leave a number” “No” “What was it about” “He said you know what it’s about”

They're still used in a lot of places from what I can tell. Healthcare settings for example, where the reception staff might not know what info is or isn't sensitive.

Write down the message, note the patients file number, and then give it to the recipient when they are available. They can call back to discuss the details.

Yes

Why past tense? These remain far more useful than answer phones; or visual voicemail with AI transcription, or whatever. All the info you need, right there. The more I pay for digital services the more I am learning to appreciate how effective these are. Basically we are spending a fortune in development to replicate exactly these.

"Ew, hardcopy" from the movie Hackers.

In those days we called it voice mail when the secretary would answer the phone and then yell out the name of whomever it was for.

At the time that these were in use if you described technology of today they would have considered it science fiction. In the near future I expect all live voice communications or voice messages to be via projected holograms.

I have these at my desk and still use them :)

A receptionist is still a thing, but physical switchboards thankfully are not. Low payed, long hours, repetitive stress injuries and customer facing.

No. These are literally older than every lemmy user and none of us remember these weird analogue doodads. They’re far superior to absolutely everything that exists today because the good old days and this darn AI transcription nonsense. I’d rather pay a lady to answer my phone when I can’t just to get these.

Yup, I used the fuck out of these.

I was a receptionist about five years ago for a small office. I would check the voicemail in the morning and write these out and leave them on the recipients desks before they arrived in the morning. Then I would use them throughout the day if the person was in an appointment when a call came in for them. It was an alternative medical office and whooo boy did people give me TMI, for the slip and for me personally.

I got one yesterday when I came back from lunch.

They used to have joke versions of those. "Answer your damn phone once in a while. Here's who called:"