Text Messaging

When my youngest son left for college I bought him an "additional" text plan for $5.00 extra a month. His first bill came in with $150.00 in additional text charges. I was standing in line at the wireless store to "argue" the bill and the associate told me I should feel fortunate ---- another person just had $3,000.00 overage in text messages. She credited out my $150 and I increased his plan. I use a palm Cento with the "qwerty" keyboard and use the TM quite a bit. I actually send complete sentences written in English complete with diacritical marks and therefore don't need the vast multitude of text shorthand that drive the number of messages out of sight. I'm one of the people that "texters" refer to as a member of AAAAA (Text lingo for American Association Against Acronym Abuse). Hey WFM.
Fungo
WFM -- Works for me.

I'm a true amateur!

Receive lots of text messages and it took awhile to learn how to do that. The few replies I make are very short. It's kind of fun watching people who know what they're doing. I have enough trouble working a laptop and cell phone. Still not sure what all the cell phone can do. Born too early in this case.

What's really aggravating is that oftentimes, text message exchanges go something like this:

#1 - What r u doing
#2 - Not much. What r u up to?
#3 - Nothing

If you pay 10 cents per text message, that's 30 cents worth of worthless conversation!

quote:

#1 - What r u doing
#2 - Not much. What r u up to?
#3 - Nothing

Not even close.

#1 wat ru doin
#2 nm bout u
#3 nutin

quote:

Originally posted by Infield08:
What's really aggravating is that oftentimes, text message exchanges go something like this:

#1 - What r u doing
#2 - Not much. What r u up to?
#3 - Nothing

If you pay 10 cents per text message, that's 30 cents worth of worthless conversation!

IDK WRKS 4 ME

Hey, it's good for baseball teams!

Team of 15-20 players at a tournament, rain delay with an uncertain start time, new (and possibly rolling) start time comes to the coach from the tournament committee. Players are scattered all over.

What to do? Call every player?

Nah, just text message using a group addressing capability. Within 2 minutes, every player will confirm they got the message.

It works really well!

A buddy of mine coaches a 13-14 year old rec team...
...next year will be banning all cell phones in the dugout. He had no clue it was going on...until his son told him about all the texting between players and parents (primarily moms in the stands) during games.

quote:

Originally posted by JT:
A buddy of mine coaches a 13-14 year old rec team...
...next year will be banning all cell phones in the dugout. He had no clue it was going on...until his son told him about all the texting between players and parents (primarily moms in the stands) during games.

A friend of mine is a college coach. He caught a player texting in the dugout during a game. There were lots of little pieces of cell phone everywhere after he threw it off the back of the dugout wall.

Hey Big!!!!!!!!!!!!

I check in now and then and saw you had started a post. How have you been? Life is rolling along here- all 6 of us text btw.

When I first started I texted Brandon in "text code" (you know- how r u, luv u etc- because one of the girls showed me how). He texted back wanting to know who was using my phone- never thought Mom would be cool enough!


We had a $2000 bill one month. Sprint said someone had called and cancelled text services- right- in a house with 4 kids! They correcrted the bill!

All's well?

Amom

My eighteen year old daughter averages 10,000/month. I'm not sure how that happens. I probably average 12/month!!! To me, the phone is for talking.... except in rare cases.

I accompanied my son to college orientation this past week. In a session for the parents, the director of security described various measures the school takes in case of emergency. One of the measures is sending out a mass text-mail to all the students about emergency school closures, lock-downs, etc.

"We have a rule about no cell phone use in the classrooms," he commented, "but you'd be amazed at how quickly word will spread if we send one of those alerts out. The kids are amazingly gifted at hiding their cell phones behind textbooks and papers and texting their friends during class."

We've had unlimited text messaging on our family cellphone plan for several years, but I had not used it until the past few months. My oldest son moved a little further away and told me it's the best way to reach him and make sure he'll get back to me.

I am a fast typist but pretty slow on that little keyboard! I have the Blackberry with the QWERTY keyboard, but somehow that seems confusing to my two thumbs!

Wow, 5,000 to 10,000 text messages a month??? Does that skill qualify our kids for any jobs, I hope?!?

Julie

My sons never answer their phones when I call them. When I need to communicate with them, I text them---they always answer my text messages. Duh, they don't want to be seen actually talking on the phone....and by texting, no one actually knows who he is communicating with....

Two years ago, during a summer with an unusual amount of "drama", our cell phone bill was over $5000 for two months.......without any text messages. All because we didn't increase our minutes....what a hassle. We negotiated a "deal" but it was still fairly high.


MnMom, I think it's time for a new smiley face....in addition to , we need one that text messages!

Annette,

"we need one that text messages!"

Good idea! I'll work on it!

Julie

Another reason to use text messaging for us oldies. I checked my bill and realized that 200 minutes were used checking voice messages. I thought it was a mistake. I called AT&T and found out that every time I check my voicemail I get charged a "SHARED" minute of "ANYTIME" minutes if I checked my messages during the non-"NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS" time frame. You get charged nothing to read your text messages if you have "UNLIMITED TEXT MESSAGING" messages. I no longer check my voicemail messages. I just call back and find out what they want. It is cheaper.

These are some of the nitpicky things I do that now that gas prices are $4 plus. Try to drop other bills to cover the extra I am spending on gas.

After 6 months of debate I gave in and allowed my son to get "the surgery". You know the one...where TM device is inplanted into hand.

Seriously though, kids seem to think that texting supercedes all other forms of communication and activity. My son would take it to the plate with him if could. I can see it now "time blue" thumb..thumb..thumb..thumb..thumb

>doing
>bgame
>ok
>plate now 2-1 cnt
>go out Ltr?
>yup

Anyway, the kid and I talk a lot and when that thing buzzez during a conversation I hold my hand out and say "give it" and he turns it off. He hasn't forked it over yet, I think he's afraid I will smash it.

btw.. the next big thing is a service called Twitter. This "neat" little technology allows you to
text everyone you know ALL AT ONCE!
For instance. Lets say PG is keeping 200 scouts (that couldn't attend showcase) abreast of a certain pitcher. He could type "just hit 97, cruising at 93-94, slider is nasty" and BAM instantly go to 200 peaple.

It's a new generation out there folks and our kids live it. Their way of communicating to me makes sense. Plus, beleive it or not some just don't like taking the phone to their ear (my daughters reasoning).
Unlimited text messaging for us means more minutes saved. I'd rather they be texting than producing large bills.
Unfortunetly it takes a huge bill to force you to call the company only to find out they have had unlimited texting for years.
Fungo I remember those days, add on 5 dollars for some more extended text but they went over then you called up to find out a fre more dollars would give you unlimited.

FYI

Below is the website that contains the text messaging acronyms

http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm