what do you use text messaging for?

deereman63 · Oct 10, 2005

Text messaging, I think, is a really under utilized resource. There must be plenty of ways you can use it but the ideas never get out there. This morning i sent myself message with an order confirmation number so I will have it readily available. My service is verizon so you can use the computer via www.vserve.com to send messages. this speeds up the typing bit. Any other ideas?

Gatorboy · Oct 10, 2005

Ask any teenager -- they text message constantly.

RobS · Oct 10, 2005

I think we're on the verge of some radical new method of communication. I get very irritated with email and it's mis-use. I can be out of the office for a day, leave my cell number on my phone message and Outlook out of office and still get few calls from other than my own people. Get back to the office and I'm flooded with urgent emails requesting instant reactions. Why aren't these people using the phone?

A buddy tells me of his daughter going to college. They got her a cell phone fearing a huge bill but most of her calls are very short. Things like "I'm on my way", "Meet me at ..." and such. Rather than email and actual phone calls, they are all using text messages.

I gotta believe there is a more profound future application, just as you have mentioned /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

CTyler · Oct 10, 2005

I understand kids using TM, modern day passing notes in class kinda thing. Over all its slow and cumbersome.

turnkey4099 · Oct 10, 2005

( I understand kids using TM, modern day passing notes in class kinda thing. Over all its slow and cumbersome. )

And just like the cell phone itself I'll bet 90% of the traffic is useless, unneeded BS. Applies to adults as well as kids.

Harry K

DKinWA · Oct 10, 2005

How true! I've seen so many people stop at a store and walk the isles yapping on the phone about virtually nothing. The worst is when they start discussing real personal things like no one is around. Sometimes it's just toooo much information /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Boomerang1 · Oct 11, 2005

You could use TM if you are in a meeting, movie or a restaurant for example and need to get some info to someone without disturbing others.

Gatorboy · Oct 11, 2005

( You could use TM if you are in a meeting, movie or a restaurant for example and need to get some info to someone without disturbing others. ) 

This is how we use it. As a ATT/Cingular customer, someone at home or work can use the computer to type a message to any of our phones. Works great when I want to remind my son of something while he is at school, or text my wife an address, phone number, etc. instead of her having to find a piece of paper and pen to write something down if I called her with that information.

MikePA · Oct 11, 2005

We use text messaging the same way Gatorboy and Boomerang1 mention. Those situations where information is sent with no reply needed. Replying to text messages or composing emails on a cell phone, or even a device like a BlackBerry (I have both), is tedious.

Having worked with computers (all sizes) for my entire career I've gone from 'You have to be home to take support calls and drive into work to fix', to pagers, to cell phones, to PDAs, to BlackBerrys which allow you to remotely handle many support issues wirelessly. Issues that used to require on site support or, at a minimum, be at home tied to a PC, can now be handled from wherever you are. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif (this can be good and bad!)

As with any form of communication, those who find it valuable are the Sender and Receiver. What Observers think of it is, well, irrelevant. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Had we had cell phones, wireless PDAs, etc. when we were teenagers I imagine we would have used them in much the same fashion. I know my Dad thought most of my teenage conversations on the phone (rotary dial) were worthless. "You're tieing up the phone line. Get off. What can you be talking about for so long?" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Heck, my Dad probably thought most of the phone conversations my Mom had were worthless. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Although, if he did, he never said anything. Remember, most men communicate to transfer information, while women usually communicate to build relationships. These days, we have more communication options, which is good.

rozett · Oct 11, 2005

( I think we're on the verge of some radical new method of communication. I get very irritated with email and it's mis-use. I can be out of the office for a day, leave my cell number on my phone message and Outlook out of office and still get few calls from other than my own people. Get back to the office and I'm flooded with urgent emails requesting instant reactions. Why aren't these people using the phone? )

RobS, I'm one of those people. I am VERY email-centric. I hate the phone. Now I did work for computer companies for 30 years and email was prolific in that environ long before it became widely used. I really don't know why other than habit. It may be that I just don't like dealing with people directly and email, and the net in general, is abstracted from direct contact. If I can't check my email several times a day, I go through withdrawals. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

meledward23 · Oct 11, 2005

I use email for about 80% of my work related conversations and I often regret not using it the other 20% of the time.

Phone? Unless you use a tape recorded what record of the conversation do you have?

Email, Hah, you told me to order that part on the 19th at 9:43AM. Remeber,? No? To bad here is the email. So dont fire me becuase of your screw up....
ETC....

Especially being in the construction field it is useful to have confirmations of go ahead orders.... etc...

getut · Oct 11, 2005

I'm the same way. I use email for everything... it is even my to-do list. At work when someone requests that I fix something, if they stop me in the manufacturing area, I've usually forgotten it by the time I round the corner. But send it to me in email and I don't delete it until I've done it.
Email is also the fastest way to get in touch with me if it is anyone other than my wife. I don't answer my cell phone unless it is my wife calling.

I find cell phones and their services (especially data services) to be way too much of a racket. I REFUSE to pay money out of pocket for a cell phone that is tied to a specific company. If I pay for it, it will be MY phone and I can use it on anyones service I want to. I can't find that anywhere yet so I end up with the ultra cheap free phones from any company I go with. It really burns me when they try to sell camera phones but they try to sucker users by not putting any port on the phone that allows the user to download directly to their PC. They make you buy their data level service so you have to email the pictures to yourself so they can get more money out of you. Another case of screwing the customer to get more money when they could be more concerned about providing a valuable service, instead they artificially cripple it and turn it into a money racket.

SkyPup · Oct 11, 2005

I saw some statistics that teens text messaging costs them (their parents?) over 8 BILLION per year.... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I have absolutely no need for it @ $0.10 per sentence..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

turnkey4099 · Oct 11, 2005

Quote from "Mike"

As with any form of communication, those who find it valuable are the Sender and Receiver. What Observers think of it is, well, irrelevant

---------------------------------------------------

True but that doesn't apply to people with a phone (or even handsfree) stuck in their ear while driving. That is total BS.

Harry K

EastTexFrank · Oct 11, 2005

( teens text messaging costs them (their parents?) over 8 BILLION per year.... )

Yup and since they all use "textese", none of them can spell worth a flip either.

Personally, I have never used TM, it's just far too slow and too much trouble. If I need a record of a conversation, I use email. I must admit, I don't use my cell phone much either but it's the only timepiece I carry since I retired and stopped wearing a watch.

txdon · Oct 11, 2005

What do you use text messaging for?

Evidence.

riptides · Oct 12, 2005

For?
Annoying people and getting out of meetings. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Not in that order of course.

l8r

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

JimMorrissey · Oct 14, 2005

Rob,

They're not using their phone because there's no "paper trail" for them to fall back on and say "I told him last week he needed to get that to me by Thursday". It's classic these days. A lot of times I get the phone call followed-up by an email with eveybody and their brother CCed and BCCed so they can CTA. It's all about CYA and people's general laziness to make a simple phone call along with the possibility that they might get "stuck talking to sombody". It's the American way of life WORK, WORK, WORK and CYA along the way.

Jagmandave · Oct 14, 2005

I have a Treo 600, you can download pics directly from the phone to the PC with it. I run it on Sprint, but it really doesn't care who's service you use. You can also use it for email, and it can be synchronized to your Outlook for calendar and other functions. You can even add a GPS module for them now. Battery life is considerably better than my last phone too. My biggest complaint is that the buttons are so small, I just can't use them with my fat fingers, so I wind up using the stylus that comes with it, but it's a bit if a PITA.