I'm reminded of the uproar in the 90s about "overlay" area codes, which create 10-digit dialing situations. Back then, people were aghast that they would actually have to dial three extra numbers for a local call. There were news stories aplenty about the horror. I'm sure I was one of the ones who was against 10-digit dialing.

Flash forward 15 years: Everyone's on a cell phone and usually pressing one or two buttons to either redial a number or grab a number from their directory. It could be 10-digit, 15-digit or 100-digit dialing - technology has made the argument moot. In addition, businesses began to complain about having to redo all their print and web materials if their area code changed. The result? On the list I linked to earlier, only one instance of a "split" area code has occurred since 2007. All other new area codes have been overlays.