myke eric scott olson: Rants - 10 Digit Dialing

Proper Formatting of 10 Digit Phone Numbers

We've had ten-digit dialing in Atlanta for like several years now (it started January, 1998) and some people still don't get it. Ok, so here's the deal. We used to have seven-digit dialing and Atlanta had two different "area codes": 404 and 770. If you were in the same area code as the number you are dialing, you didn't need to dial the area code, but if you were in a different area code you needed to. The trick is, because you don't dial the "1" before the number, so it's a local call. Today, you need to dial the "area code", or full 10-digit phone number, for every call you make in the Atlanta area (other cities are doing this too). The "area code" is not optional. You need to dial it for every number you call.

With that being said, there is a proper way to write phone numbers. In the English language, the parenthesis denotes something optional. For example, if you are reading a novel, the author might write something in parenthesis that is not important to the understanding of the novel, but you may find interesting...in other words, you can skip over it and it wouldn't matter. Area Codes should not be put in parenthesis because you can't skip them.

WRONG WAY to write phone numbers:	CORRECT WAY to write phone numbers:
`(770) 555-1234 770 555-1234 770/555-1234 +770 555-1234 7/555-1234 4) 555 1234` (yes, I've really seen one written like that)*	`770-555-1234 +1 770-555-1234` (the latter is only appropriate where international users might see it)

Three Digits, a DASH, Three Digits, a DASH, and then Four Digits. It's Easy. The area code is no longer any different than any other part of the phone number and does not need to be separated from it with parenthesis, a space, a slash, the sun and the moon, or anything else.

Recently, I've also seen people abbreviate the area code...no, no! What if someone has just moved to the area or is visiting and they don't know that 4) means 404? And what happens when the 470 area code is more prominent in Atlanta? Does "4)" mean 404 or 470? If your potential customer can't figure out what the area code is, then you may have lost businees...and even though I know what you probably mean, I'm not going to spend my time guessing area codes until I find the right person.

A certain artistic license may be granted for some things, like print advertisements, business cards, etc. These should be used only rarely and when they match the design of the rest of the ad. These are certainly not appropriate for use in computer databases, address books, etc.
Other acceptable forms:
770.555.1234 770*555*1234

Toll-Free Numbers: The "800", "888", "877", etc. for toll-free numbers should not be treated like an area code, either. These numbers do have a special case, though, as the "1" is required for dialing and the phrase "1-800" is so recognized.

WRONG WAY to write Toll-Free phone numbers:	CORRECT WAY to write Toll-Free phone numbers:
`(800) 555-1234 #800 555-1234`	`800-555-1234 1-888-555-1234`

In conclusion, remember the proper way to write a phone number: xxx-xxx-xxxx. It's not difficult and the consistency will create a reduced level of stress in everyone, leading to a better world for you and me.