Mike Lazer-Walker has repurposed a 1927 Western Electric 551-A switchboard into a hectic game that tasks players with quickly learning the obsolete job. “Hello, Operator!,” although controlled by a ...

They're still at it after 32 years: Their monthly "eat out" get-together followed by "Crazy Sevens," plugged together with stories from their days as telephone switchboard operators, such as of the ...

Before smartphones, landline telephones were the way most people kept in touch. And until direct dialing became common, a switchboard operator's assistance was often needed to help with long-distance ...

Before automated routing protocols and digital telecommunications streamlined global connectivity, every long-distance call required a skilled human touch to reach its destination. Throughout the late ...

Before smartphones, most people kept in touch using landline telephones. And before direct dialing was common, some calls were handled by switchboard operators. During the 1950s, more than 220,000 ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed how people communicate at work: Nearly half of people videoconference more, 43% email more, 42% call more, and 41% text more than before the pandemic, ...

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri health care workers were confident they had enough personal protective equipment to withstand demand. But, as the days wore on, PPE started ...

A reunion of Maine switchboard operators highlights the challenges of making a phone call more than 50 years ago and what it was like to handle emergencies, rude customers and delicate situations. If ...

A reunion of Maine switchboard operators highlights the challenges of making a phone call more than 50 years ago and what it was like to handle... Telephone operators of another era gather to ...