Texting
 

So I have a fancy new mobile phone. Not THAT fancy--it doesn't have a camera or show pictures or surf the net or play videos--but it does do text messages.

Do you "text"? Do you think this is something useful &/or cool or is it just the latest lame fad that will be dead in a couple years? Any interesting applications for it? (I read about a web site where you can text msg when you're at a certain club or bar and it will tell you which of your friends are also there. Sounds vaguely useful & fun if you're not going to go all Orwell at the whole concept, tho it requires that you have friends who go to clubs. Or, well, friends. :lol: )

constantly. easy way to touch base with friends, organise things, confirm things and exchange tidbits of information without the waste of time that such snippets require on a call, great internationally too. it's obviously asynchronous so like email, you can reply instantly if required, or later, the cost is silly but it is very useful.

I just spoke to the head coach of my favorite college football team and he said all his assistant coaches use texting to communicate with the high school players they are recruiting. It has helped our recruiting considerably.

Oh sure, use a device more sophisticated than they are to capitalize on their inadequacies and dreams.

Last summer I bought the "ultimate text machine," the Nokia 6820. I love it. Text messaging is so much easier than going through the trouble of calling someone, maybe, maybe not interrupting them, having to explain things quickly, figuring out how to leave an informative but short voicemail ...

It's the same shit you do here on the Cellar and with e-mail. Just using your phone. Plain and simple. What works better for you?/

Wow, did that amake any semse? This belongs in the posting while intxoicated thread.

I gave my gf the boot on monday. Probably explains why I am awake and on the computer at th is hour. I hope i can amend that situation shortly with th first young, innocent NYU student willing to be taken advantage of.

Why is that relevant to this thread? Are you planning to take a camera phone along? ;)

I have on very rare occasions used the text messaging features on my cell phone. I don't have one with the full keyboard, so it's a laborious task to type out the messages. And then I have trouble addressing it, and misplace the message for about five minutes while I try to attach the destination, either an email address or cell phone number to it.

Until the interface improves, it's more of a novelty than anything.

Especially since I can't be bothered to learn to interpret txtspk.

Texting drives me insane. The only people that ever text me is the odd persistent young lad hoping for sex or companies offering 'free' ringtones or mp3s. I cannot use the type pad because you have to wait for it to stop flashing before you can enter the next letter, so I always spell it wrong, get annoyed, do the same thing again and in throws of frustration send the damn thing anyway. Then I get replies like 'omg wtf av u bin smkg' and as it is a stupid question I turn my phone off. Three days later I approach it reservedly, and out of mild curiosity, turn it on again. There's usually an answerphone message from my mum saying something completely pointless like 'it's half past three! um... hope you're ok, bye' so I turn it off for another 3 days, which some people find annoying.

Great way for the phone companies to make money on something which has a marginal cost of near zilch.

Is that really a major problem for you?

While I do now live with a mobile and use it for email and web as well i can turn it off and ignore it for days, I think that's important.

Stereotype.

It can be. Some can be less persistent, more stalker. Nothing dangerous, just very annoying. Men just do not understand simple verbal signals like 'fuck off'.

Might have something to do with the phrasing. Try "Piss off" next time. :D

I'd probably type it wrong and have them end up thinking I want their 'pants off'.