It was social media before there was social media.
Long before you could vent your spleen - anonymously - on Twitter, or even post your snarkiest comment in the comments section of your favorite website, including DelcoTimes.com, there was what was unquestionably one of the favorite parts of the print edition of the newspaper.
That would be Sound Off.v
The idea was simple. Why not offer people an easier, quicker, more immediate way to react with the newspaper, comment on stories, or simply offer opinions.
Yes, readers could always pen a Letter to the Editor, but that could take weeks.
What if a person could pick up the phone and spill their guts, and have it appear in the newspaper the next day.
Thus was born the Daily Times Sound Off column.
Of course, it also had one major - and controversial- difference from other venues used to react to the newspaper, such as the guest columns and letters to the editor that ran on our editorial page.
Sound Off would allow readers to do so anonymously.
To this day, letters to the editor that appear in the Daily Times require the writer's name and town of residence.
Sound Off does not. You can leave a tagline if you like, otherwise you are free to spill your guts without having to be identified.
Years before the internet came along, Sound Off created something of a phenomenon.
There was - and probably remains - no shortage of people who believe we have no business providing this kind of forum. Some of those people have resided in our own newsroom.
It takes a heavy hand to edit the Sound Off column. If you really want to get a feel for the people who are walking along beside you out there, come in and listen to the unvarnished voices who fill our Sound Off line each day.
Originally, Sound Off was a tape-messaging service. Our newsroom clerk (back in the days when we actually had such luxuries) would transcribe the tape each day.
When then-Editor Stu Rose first rolled out Sound Off in the early '80s, we would fill a full page of the newspaper every day.
Things have changed a bit since then.
Sound Off now is basically voice-mail. You call the number and leave a message.
But we are making an important change in Sound Off.
No, we are not eliminating it, despite almost daily calls to do so.
But we are changing the phone number.
The reason isn't important. But the number is.
Jot down this number:
484-470-6442. That's our new Sound Off number. We'll keep the old number in place for a few days, but soon it will be gone.
By the way, do us a favor.
Back when we simply used the tape to answer Sound Off, we could limit callers' responses. We can't do that on voice-mail. But we strongly suggest you keep your message brief, no more than 30 seconds.
Besides, if you go on for a minute or longer, it's not likely your message will be used.
We want to get in as many comments as possible each day.
One other plea: Really, we've heard more than enough about Trump and the partisan divide that has infected the nation.
Don't you have anything else on your mind?
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