# What do people use now instead of rolodexes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861 "2010-07-07T14:38:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/21 "2010-07-08T15:02:38Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > You guys actually type in contact info? Nowadays, the cool kids have[business card scanners](http://www.staples.com/IRIS-IRISCard-Pro-4-Business-Card-Scanner/product_712731?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Shopping-_-Technology%3EScanners-_-712731-USOA393&cid=CSE:GoogleBase:Technology:Scanners:712731:USOA393). I’d just have to check that the OCR got everything right, anyway, and copy it over to our database. So I might as well take the five seconds to enter all the information myself. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/22 "2010-07-08T17:07:35Z")
> [@Omegaman](#): > > …Seems like outdated technology in this day and age. Heh. My “rolodex” is a bunch of business cards I keep rubber-banded together for when I need a phone number, my word-processing file with addresses typed in for when I need to send an envelope, and my dog-eared old address book for everyone else. Old school, baby! ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/23 "2010-07-08T17:24:56Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > The last three places I worked at still use rolodexes. > > You guys actually type in contact info? Nowadays, the cool kids have[business card scanners](http://www.staples.com/IRIS-IRISCard-Pro-4-Business-Card-Scanner/product_712731?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Shopping-_-Technology%3EScanners-_-712731-USOA393&cid=CSE:GoogleBase:Technology:Scanners:712731:USOA393). These are also handy for scanning receipts. My iPhone has an app that does that. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/24 "2010-07-09T15:54:05Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > My iPhone has an app that does that. As do many Windows Mobile (and probably Android) phones. It’s not especially complex if you have a good OCR library – I implemented similar functionality for Windows fax software back in the mid 90s, when I was only a few years out of college. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/25 "2010-07-09T16:57:18Z")
> [@3waygeek](#): > > As do many Windows Mobile (and probably Android) phones. Definitely Android. As I said above…with my Droid I can scan a business card and everything will be parsed out into the proper fields and with a click it can go in my address book. And the app (Google Goggles, which does tons of other stuff, like translating a picture of text) is free. ---
**Author:** ![BettyS](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bettys/32/8536_2.png) [@BettyS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BettyS)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/26 "2021-07-27T19:11:34Z")
I have contacts that change frequently. Plus I use the Rolodex cards to track supply contacts. Not all of these contacts or information come from business cards. I’ll keep my Rolodex. It’s organized & I know right where to find something! ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/27 "2021-07-28T00:03:30Z")
> [@troub](#): > > My Gmail contacts (both personal and my Google Apps account at work) are available to me anywhere, and sync immediately and automatically to my Android phone where they are available at any time and place. This for me too. I have used Outlook for this but am transitioning. I used to have a Rolodex on my desk at work. Before computerized contact lists they were the gold standard for contact directories. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/28 "2021-07-28T00:36:43Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > This for me too. FYI, that comment was from 11 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/29 "2021-07-28T01:12:19Z")
Yikes! Well, it’s still true. Oddly, the _newest_ comment is the person that still uses an actual Rolodex. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/30 "2021-07-28T08:58:42Z")
In the yuppie-inspired culture of the 1980s, having a rolodex was one of the symbols of having made it and being someone in the networked circles. It was similar for the filofax, which sparked _Taking Care of Business_, a 1990 comedy with James Belushi about someone who finds a businessman’s information-crammed filofax. I, personally, don’t keep a record of people’s contact data at all. E-mails are in Outlook, and if I need to call a person I’ve received e-mails from, I’ll search Outlook to find an old e-mail that has the person’s signature line with phone number in it. Not the most efficient method, I know, but by now it’s what I’m used to. ---
**Author:** ![steepone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/31 "2021-07-28T10:29:33Z")
I have an app that scans and stores business cards and adds all the details to my phone contacts ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/32 "2021-07-29T18:40:56Z")
Discourse suggested that we welcome you to our community… so … Welcome to the community ! 🍷 ---
**Author:** ![BettyS](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bettys/32/8536_2.png) [@BettyS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BettyS)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/33 "2021-07-29T19:10:00Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/34 "2021-07-29T19:49:18Z")
I’ve always used the high-tech Big Sheet of Phone Listings pinned to the wall, which features everyone I frequently contact, with post-it notes helpfully stuck on at the bottom for extras that haven’t yet made the revised master list. Never needs recharging. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/35 "2021-07-30T02:39:06Z")
In the 1960s my dad helped count the money in his church. In the office was sort of a Rolodex that was used to mail newsletters. Each “card” was made of aluminum and had the name and address raised. They were stored in long rows in flat partitioned boxes. Somehow they got run through a machine that printed the envelopes. We used to add new names to the boxes from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/36 "2021-07-30T02:58:40Z")
Unfortunately I have become too used to being able to access any information I want from wherever I am for this to work for me ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/37 "2021-07-30T03:51:07Z")
iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/38 "2021-07-30T07:11:19Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I’ve always used the high-tech Big Sheet of Phone Listings pinned to the wall, which features everyone I frequently contact, with post-it notes helpfully stuck on at the bottom for extras that haven’t yet made the revised master list. > > Never needs recharging. Of course it never needs recharging. That list is powered entirely by its author’s smug sense of self-satisfaction. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861/39 "2021-07-30T07:47:53Z")
Just a thought. Does anyone keep notes about ‘contacts’ here on the SDMB? Where they are from, age, gender, profession, interests, politics, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-use-now-instead-of-rolodexes/545861.md?page=1)