What is the point of text messaging?

Sluggo

Lifer
Jun 12, 2000
15,488
5
81
Isnt talking faster than typing a bunch of junk on a tiny phone?

Am I just totally missing the point?
 

emmpee

Golden Member
Nov 26, 2001
1,100
0
0
Originally posted by: Sluggo
Isnt talking faster than typing a bunch of junk on a tiny phone? Am I just totally missing the point?

sometimes the sender or receiver is in a place where they can't talk, but still need to relay/receive info.
 

flxnimprtmscl

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2003
7,962
2
0
Originally posted by: emmpee
Originally posted by: Sluggo
Isnt talking faster than typing a bunch of junk on a tiny phone? Am I just totally missing the point?

sometimes the sender or receiver is in a place where they can't talk, but still need to relay/receive info.

 

krunchykrome

Lifer
Dec 28, 2003
13,413
1
0
I think about it the same way..."whats the point."
My girlfriend text messages me all the time. I'm like "just call me."
But it is something nice when Im sitting in class and I get a text message saying something kinky.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
It's a way to pretend you're in class, in a meeting, etc. while you're really "talking" on your phone.

pls u gt 2 tk lk ths! wuhu!
 

Supertastic Fool

Golden Member
Oct 28, 2002
1,440
0
76
very useful when you don't want to be "disrespectful" to a teacher. Since I know everyone here is such a good student.
 

Sid59

Lifer
Sep 2, 2002
11,879
3
81
text your roomate during your final for an answer .. can't make a call then ..

think outside the box.

people who work in an office and can't answer their phones but can read a text message.
 

NickE

Senior member
Mar 18, 2000
201
0
0
Quicker and cheaper than a call -
Text: 'I'm at the airport' DONE
Call: 'I'm at the airport' 'How's the weather' 'Fine, how is it there'' 'Fine as well, is the flight on time?'.....you get the picture.

You can use it in meetings and noisy environments.

Useful for sending phone numbers etc., easy to store or call directly.

Send the same message to a group of people in one go rather than multiple calls.
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
Originally posted by: emmpee
Originally posted by: Sluggo
Isnt talking faster than typing a bunch of junk on a tiny phone? Am I just totally missing the point?

sometimes the sender or receiver is in a place where they can't talk, but still need to relay/receive info.

example: my brother in law in afghanistan with the army has net access

so, he gets to talk to my sister daily. he calls once or twice a week at most, but they talk daily with AIM or whatever they use
 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
18,834
1
0
Useful in situations where talking on the phone would be inappropriate - in class, at a meeting, watching a movie.

I use it all the time. More than once I have been in a meeting, text messaged one of my charges and had them bring me something to the meeting. It looks very sharp when the boss says "I want to see a cost-benefit analysis of...." and no sooner does he finish the question, there's a knock on the door.
 

Confused

Elite Member
Nov 13, 2000
14,166
0
0
Text messaging has REALLY taken off in the UK. With the "Pay As You Go" tarrifs we have, where you buy credit in advance, text messaging is a quick and easy way to keep in touch. Granted some kids spend more on text messaging than they would on phone calls themselves, but it is a way for them to communicate in places where they couldn't talk (classroom etc).

I think that SMS messaging is more of a UK thing than a US thing.


Confused
 

Argo

Lifer
Apr 8, 2000
10,045
0
0
It's a way for teennagers to look cool. When I get a text message from one of my friends I usually just ignore it. There is no way in hell you'll get me to type on that thing.
 

MaxDepth

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2001
8,757
43
91
With the Virgin pay as you go cell phones, text messaging is 10 cents to send, free to receive. Calls are 25 cents per minute for eight minutes, then 10 cents after that. This week I just added another $20 to my minutes bank. I have now spent $100 using that phone since August 8th last year when I bought it. My rebates came in around Christmas so I only spent $5 purchasing the phone.
 

freegeeks

Diamond Member
May 7, 2001
5,460
1
81
it is a big money machine for providers (especially European), SMS is by far the most profitable service providers offer
in the UK there are around 1,5 billion messages send every month

they even have scientific studies why it's such a craze over here


 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
18,834
1
0
Originally posted by: Argo
It's a way for teennagers to look cool. When I get a text message from one of my friends I usually just ignore it. There is no way in hell you'll get me to type on that thing.

Predictive input makes it surprisingly easy.
Or just get something with a QWERTY pad *cough*sidekick*cough*