SMS has long outstayed its welcome

thecapsaicinkid

Senior member
Nov 30, 2012
382
0
71
With email and IM that work across all devices, I really wish people would ditch the text messaging. It serves absolutely no purpose now. SMS is the only reason I need to pick my phone up when at home for the 3 people who still insist on using it (2 don't have email on their phone and the other, well, I don't think we've reached the stage of dating where I feel comfortable dictating which technology she uses! Soon maybe :$)

Any good solutions for forwarding (replying?) sms to email? I've tried 'sms backup' app but I can't seem to get emails to come through as unread.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,901
11,038
136
With email and IM that work across all devices, I really wish people would ditch the text messaging. It serves absolutely no purpose now. SMS is the only reason I need to pick my phone up when at home for the 3 people who still insist on using it (2 don't have email on their phone and the other, well, I don't think we've reached the stage of dating where I feel comfortable dictating which technology she uses! Soon maybe :$)

Any good solutions for forwarding (replying?) sms to email? I've tried 'sms backup' app but I can't seem to get emails to come through as unread.

You can buy my Mum a new phone and teach her how to use it then.

You can also answer every phone call asking how to do stuff on it as well.

SMS is simple and it works well for a lot of people.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
As mentioned above SMS means I can send a message to anyone with any kind of phone on a single "service". Can't do that with email and especially not with any of the dozen or so IM services. It's more annoying to have 20 contacts that I need to communicate with over 10 different protocols than it is to use SMS.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
454
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If you just want to be able to reply from the pc, check out mighty text. Works well for me.
 

WelshBloke

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
32,901
11,038
136
It also doesn't require a mobile data connection. Mobile data costs more and doesn't have as good coverage, at least where I am.

Coverage thing is a good point. SMSs will go through practically anywhere, even if the phone has to try a few times.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Hey now, you're not following the rules... you can't mention your new lady friend on ATOT without posting a picture.
 

abaez

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2000
7,155
1
81
SMS is fine, it will eventually die out. MMS needs to die today though.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
20,601
15,507
136
I don't know what it is like for other people, but my phone seems to randomly decide whether it will force me to visit a website to see the attachment of an MMS message or show it in-line.

Could it be possibly to do with an available data connection? I keep wifi/mobile data disabled until I actually want to use it.

An MMS message also seems pointless as e-mail had that one nailed well enough a long time ago.
 

zCypher

Diamond Member
Aug 18, 2002
6,115
171
116
I have no issue with SMS/MMS, except for sometimes it has trouble sending for no apparent reason, when all other aspects of the phone/data work fine. I never experienced this until I moved to smartphones though. I have some people that only use SMS some that use Whatsapp, others that I need to catch on FB chat or by email or MSN messenger.

not really a big deal for me, but I can see how it could become tedious.
 

thecapsaicinkid

Senior member
Nov 30, 2012
382
0
71
I don't know what it is like for other people, but my phone seems to randomly decide whether it will force me to visit a website to see the attachment of an MMS message or show it in-line.

Could it be possibly to do with an available data connection? I keep wifi/mobile data disabled until I actually want to use it.

An MMS message also seems pointless as e-mail had that one nailed well enough a long time ago.
I'm pretty sure you need a data connection.
 

3chordcharlie

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2004
9,859
1
81
Not exactly what I expected in the OP. SMS is excellent for being universal.

It's also stupidly limited, not all that reliable, and long overdue for a version 2.0.
 

wirednuts

Diamond Member
Jan 26, 2007
7,121
4
0
i use google voice for texting, so any pc or internet browser can allow me to use my texts
 

thecapsaicinkid

Senior member
Nov 30, 2012
382
0
71
long overdue for a version 2.0.
Google Wave (I'm only half joking)

Seriously though, email. It's fine, let's just rock with that.

In the age of swiping tablets while supping lattes, sms is annoying as balls. 99.9% of phones support email (Let's be honest, you don't even like that .1% guy anyway), it works on everything, more reliable, cheaper. Need I go on?

The simplicity argument, my father is my biggest support contract yet he has no more trouble with email than sms.
 

3chordcharlie

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2004
9,859
1
81
Google Wave (I'm only half joking)

Seriously though, email. It's fine, let's just rock with that.

In the age of swiping tablets while supping lattes, sms is annoying as balls. 99.9% of phones support email (Let's be honest, you don't even like that .1% guy anyway), it works on everything, more reliable, cheaper. Need I go on?

The simplicity argument, my father is my biggest support contract yet he has no more trouble with email than sms.

Email is not IM, and I would say is different enough to matter. I use both quite a bit, including with the same contacts for different purposes.

Honestly, if carriers want relevancy, and $5/mo they really need to up their game here. Otherwise one of google/skype/whatsapp (or even BBM) are going to step in with a truly killer cross-platform IM and take out texting (and the plan money) for good.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
454
126
I don't know what it is like for other people, but my phone seems to randomly decide whether it will force me to visit a website to see the attachment of an MMS message or show it in-line.

Could it be possibly to do with an available data connection? I keep wifi/mobile data disabled until I actually want to use it.

An MMS message also seems pointless as e-mail had that one nailed well enough a long time ago.

Definitely data related. All mms messages use the data band, even on dumb phones (doesn't count towards having or needing a data plan though).
 

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
SMS is great for what it is, simple messaging. I have plenty of contacts that don't have a need for a smart phone and the attached data plan. Good first troll post OP.
 

Dulanic

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2000
9,966
590
136
Any good solutions for forwarding (replying?) sms to email? I've tried 'sms backup' app but I can't seem to get emails to come through as unread.

Ignoring the rest of your drivel.... SMS Backup+... Advanced Settings.... Backup Settings... uncheck "Mark as read" ... then also setup the label you want to use and set that labels options to what you want (within Gmail). But kind of a round about useless way of doing things since you need to have it installed on the android phone receiving the txt message and by then... isn't it easier just to read the damn thing on the phone?