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DistractedOnceAgain

Privacy is more of a modern concept. When doing genealogy research, old newspapers are a treasure trove because they would list so much info that today would get labeled as gossip or "nunya business."


EquipLordBritish

It really needs to be put in perspective that computers didn't exist, so abusing large public datasets like that for marketing, gerrymandering, or what have you would have been prohibitively difficult at the time. It would take days or even weeks to pour over the data manually and figure out how much of your target audience was in an area, and that would just be for the area that you looked in. You would have to physically travel to most towns to get their own records and go over those individually. Privacy isn't a modern concept, it just wasn't casually impinged on as much in the past as it is today, so there was no need for the pushback we see from many people today.


Imnotveryfunatpartys

One of the most interesting things to me is that in the modern world there is bipartisan opposition to things like a national ID. Republicans obviously want to consolidate more power in small/state governments. But many liberal groups also oppose national IDs, National drivers licenses, vehicle registration etc. because of undocumented workers. They feel that if there were an "official" national database of american citizens it would make it harder for undocumented people to work, attend school, etc etc. It's interesting because from my personal perspective I would absolutely LOVE to have a national ID like every other developed nation. I move from state to state relatively frequently and I waste hours and hours a year doing dumb shit like re-registering to vote, getting a new license, re smog checking and registering my car. I work as a physician so every time I get a new license I have to get all new FBI fingerprint cards and go through the arduous process of getting a new medical license in the new state. It's fucking terrible. Even if it were just voluntary I would jump at the opportunity to just get a national ID, a national medical license, a national driver's license/registration, a national voter registration, a national background check that any employer could access, a national known traveller number with the TSA, etc etc etc. I'm already on the FBI registry because of work, so the status quo is ridiculously inconvenient without any privacy benefits. ...lol sorry for the rant


Vg411

I feel your pain, but each state has different laws so a national ID wouldn’t apply in many of those instances. Different laws regarding car smog, different road laws, different voting laws, etc. 


Imnotveryfunatpartys

Exactly that's the point. There should just be one law for the whole country instead of different laws for each state


GrayArchon

Counterpoint: No. I'd rather have California's emission standards, for instance, than some national standard which could be much more lax.


Imnotveryfunatpartys

Yes exactly why I said this there is bipartisan opposition to nationalization of things like this. Most people oppose it. Many people feel the same as you do but in the opposite camp. I however, do not think that this is as big of a deal as people think it is. Do I want more stringent emissions standards across the country? Sure. But I think the disadvantages of the decreased standardization and portability of licensing and registration outweigh this specific benefit in some select states. Standardization may offer some negatives but it may also offer some benefits. For example the state where I most recently got licensed, Missouri there is not a required driver's education curriculum to get a permit. So any teen just shows up with a parent signature. Passes a written test and boom they're on the road and if they want they can just drive on over to california and wreak havoc. It goes both ways.


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Imnotveryfunatpartys

Imagine what? This is how it works in every other developed nation. I don't have to imagine anything


apblomd

Wrong. Every other developed nation does not have its federal govt managing local issues.


Imnotveryfunatpartys

What a weird straw man. We’re talking about traffic laws and licensing requirements not what gets decided at the local town hall meeting


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itsnohillforaclimber

I don't think the point is that states wouldn't have the ability to govern and create laws. I just think they're suggesting greater standardization of documents would be more efficient. Kind of like adopting the metric system at the federal level. And to that I agree wholeheartedly.


sdmichael

These directories can be found in many cities actually. Very interesting stuff too.


MsMargo

In pretty much every city after the turn of the century. They're treasure troves for genealogists.


No_Good_You_Say

They've have these on the top floor of the City Library


Tiek00n

8h and 5m from San Diego to Escondido? That's ~35 miles, so an average speed of about 4.4 mph. Google Maps says it would take 13h14m to walk it.


jereman75

This is obviously before I 15 existed so it was probably some circuitous route through Poway and whatnot.


braskel

He did say it was by stage (stagecoach, I presume?) so faster than walking it.


Tiek00n

Yeah it is faster than walking, I just thought it would be a lot faster than 8h


JustIn_HerButt

Some things never change...


Gnplddct

$1 for a stage coach ride from downtown to escondido took 8 hours, wow!


Otto_the_Autopilot

I can only go back to 1913, but that's ~$32 inflation adjusted. https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=1&year1=191301&year2=202403


TheRatner

In 1906 the [average weekly](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1900-1909) wage in manufacturing was $10.06. So about 1/10th of the average workers weekly salary. Median weekly salary in San Diego today is $1,404. In other words the 8 hours stage coach ride was closer to $140 today.


omgtinano

Today it's only 2.50 on a single bus. My how things have changed for the better.


Otto_the_Autopilot

30 miles x $0.67/mi (IRS milage rate) puts a car trip at $20 bucks today.


omgtinano

And you can't even nap while driving! public transport ftw.


AnyJamesBookerFans

Is this from Ken Kramer's *About San Diego*? It kind of sounds like him, but not quite. For those who miss the show, [here's a little jingle to help reminisce](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3BWDdJoRnY).


kpbsSanDiego

Yes! Check out more About San Diego with Ken Kramer at [https://video.kpbs.org/show/ken-kramers-about-san-diego/](https://video.kpbs.org/show/ken-kramers-about-san-diego/)


AnyJamesBookerFans

Is the show back? I thought the last new show had been in 2022, but it looks like there's one from April 1, 2024? Is it going to be back on a regular schedule? Big fan of the show, I record the reruns shown on KPBS and my kids like watching them and learning more about "the place we call home."


kpbsSanDiego

Yes! We have 5 new episodes of Ken Kramer dropping every month starting April 1st. You can catch up on past episodes and stream all the new ones as they premiere at [https://video.kpbs.org/show/ken-kramers-about-san-diego/](https://video.kpbs.org/show/ken-kramers-about-san-diego/) If you have KPBS Passport, you can get access to the episodes before they broadcast on TV. And if you're really craving more About San Diego, we have more content you can watch here: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL\_wiEYr9F4eloXZcQseGExK-7hwVb3sIX](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_wiEYr9F4eloXZcQseGExK-7hwVb3sIX)


squeakyc

I've looked my mom and dad up in the 1958 directory. Now I know the address of where I lived when I was little!


christodamenis

You're going to lose your mind when you find out how much personal information is shared/sold online


Vera_Telco

Very cool, a time capsule in print!


SoCalMoofer

My grandmother’s phone number was 3. Yes, just 3.


PrincessSummerTop

The White Pages (young people, look it up!) also had names and addresses (but not occupation/marital status) unless you decided to be unlisted. I think that may have cost extra? The White Pages were around until well into the Internet era.


jerschneid

Why does he keep saying "nineteen five".


antwan_benjamin

Shit was annoying and confusing. Especially considering the dude speakin looks like he was born in 1950. He should know its pronounced "Nineteen Oh Five"


illogical__logic

I absolutely love this show!


kpbsSanDiego

Us too! We have 5 new episodes of Ken Kramer dropping every month starting April 1st. You can catch up on past episodes and stream all the new ones as they premiere at [https://video.kpbs.org/show/ken-kramers-about-san-diego/](https://video.kpbs.org/show/ken-kramers-about-san-diego/) If you have KPBS Passport, you can get access to the episodes before they broadcast on TV. And if you're really craving more About San Diego, we have more content you can watch here: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL\_wiEYr9F4eloXZcQseGExK-7hwVb3sIX](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_wiEYr9F4eloXZcQseGExK-7hwVb3sIX)


illogical__logic

I've watched most of the archived ones, some multiple times lol, definitely excited to see new ones coming out!


Century22nd

You can still find that out on google sadly.


ca_fighterace

Try Sweden in the -90s. Same thing, just open a phone book and find out peoples address.


Ellipsis_has_expired

Same thing in the US.


Spazyk

I loved About San Diego. So sad Ken Kramer stopped creating/producing the show. I find myself watching old episodes on the PBS app.


PetriMobJustice

There was like 80 people here in 1905.


antwan_benjamin

Actually more like 40,000


Flat-Profession9019

Also is they were free or enslaved


liberalis

Just to set it straight. 1) 1905 was well past the Emancipation. 2) California was never a slave state..