Texting: A Question
 

Why do people text? You've got a cellular phone. It's capable of full-duplex voice communication. Why go through the arduous task of typing in characters?

Why do people e-mail?

That's a good point. However, most people don't realize (or don't know) that you can use a PC to make a phone/voice call.

Email is for when you don't need immediate communication.

I used to be really annoyed by texting, before I figured out it had a serious advantage over placing calls: the ability to tell someone something without having to engage in a full conversation.

Texting = free. Call's not so much.

The reason I ask is that my wife has a friend who texts her cell phone about five times/day. I never set up "texting" on her account so it costs me something like $0.25/text that she sends.

Because its what all the cool kids are doing.

True. I guess that my point is that texting is halfway between a phone call and an e-mail.

Phone call:
Efficient communication
Somewhat intrusive

E-mail:
Moderately efficient communication
Very unobtrusive

Texting:
Very inefficient communication
Somewhat unintrusive

For what it's worth, I strongly dislike texting, but I have to deal with it from time to time since a lot of other people do.

What? Texting isn't free.

Texting is great because it's a way to have a 30 second convo without actually talking to the annoying person.

You won't believe this, but there are some people that text thousands of times a month. I know a girl whose parents got her unlimited texting when she did over 5000 in one month.

I see your point, to a point, but verbal communication is far more efficient than typed, at least for me. However, considering how loquacious my wife is, perhaps texting would be more efficient.

I was against texting for a long time. I fought it until last year.

I like it because I can get or send a quick note that explains something. I can get it in a meeting and know whats going on, without interupting for a call(silent). My wife uses them for 'reminders' too. I'll ask her to text to remind me about picking up the kids, something I'm supposed to do...

Its also a good way to communicate with people that annoy the shit out of you, but you want to be civilized with and stay on topic.

I also used it some this fall while bow hunting, to pass the time, chatting with my brothers about what we were seeing etc.

Oh, no argument there. I think people like the fact that it's a semi-instant form of communication, but won't bug people if they're busy.

That, or perhaps we've gotten to a point in society that we'd rather communicate in text than have to deal with someone in real-time.

That's good stuff. I can see how getting a phone call with a Batman ringer would be detrimental to killing animals.

I only text when I need to "talk" or communicate w/ someone, but don't want it to take 5, 10, 15 minutes. It's impersonal, but I don't get caught talking to Mom or any other family/friend when I don't have time.

Is there some protocol in responding to text messages? I can imagine it being really annoying to get: "Y havnt u respond to my text! WTF!"

Its the first year we did it....but it did help pass those 12, sometimes freezing hours.


I also use it in another way.
If I'm negotiating with a potential client, I'll tell the wife to text a couple of times between 10 and 10:30....something like that. The phone buzzing gives the air of your services being "in demand". Sometimes, its overkill, because it is buzzing....but I really do notice a reaction that seems positive.

A text is also an effective way to getting out of something, politely.

You're having a meeting with someone you don't want to get stuck with for an extended time...."text me around 9:30".....bzzz bzz bzzzz

"sorry, Hercules, something's come up and I have to go put out a fire"

"Ok man, see you later."

"later"

I do prefer the face to face conversation...or the phone conversation.

In some situations, I prefer email because of the "paper trail" of what is said, asked for, approved etc. Its tougher for a client to change their mind, when you can forward an email with a "Greetings sir, this was my understanding of your request".....its tougher to forward a phone conversation back to them.


I don't text a lot, maybe 50/month, but its helpful for my business stuff.

My niece had almost 10,000 text msgs in 25 days. She's 12. Luckily they had the unlimited text plan.

She gotta lot of boyfriends eh?

Texting = privacy, no one overhears a text. Also, when you text, your message always gets through quickly. Many people (I'm one of them) are too lazy to check their voicemail. It takes 30 seconds to get to the message then you have to listen to it. Texting can be read immediately, no chance of mis-hearing something. I'd rather get a text message over a voicemail. It's just convenient and fast - some people have the Qwerty on their phone and can crank them out rapidomente. I don't like getting into long back and forth texts though. I'd rather call than text a novel.

Texting is useful if you're in a loud place (ie. restaurant, bar, concert, etc.) where it's difficult to hear/speak on a phone. As others said, it's good when you want to exchange info without having a conversation. For example, "are you on the way?" Also, it's useful if you want to get info from multiple people all at once. You can send a text out to a group of people asking "anything going on tonight?" if you're looking to go out.

I use it most to say things I don't want to say aloud for security or privacy reasons.

Not that I know of. Just spends every waking minute texting.

i do about 1300 a month

only talk about 400 minutes

its sweet cause you can just blow the other person off and not even have to say bye

My mom told me about the "dangers" that she sees in electronic text communication of all types. She fought the e-mail fight years ago because writing a hand written letter was "actually personal, and from the heart." Then she was against instant messaging to communicate instead of a phone conversation, in spite of its convenience. Again, it was because personality was taken out of the conversation, as well as emotions such as sarcasm, and simple laughing (she wasn't a fan of "lol"). Now it's text messaging. She thinks we're turning into robots.

Then again, she's also the biggest luddite I've ever met.

Yup. You get what you want out of the conversation and never have to speak with them.

If I have a quick question that requires a short answer, then I like to text it. You call some people, and you get stuck conversing for longer than you wanted/intended. Also, if someone gives me their number who I don't know very well, I tend to text them due to not knowing their schedule. If they're busy, it's much easier to just shoot them a text than to have the phone ring and chance disrupting them.

I hate people who carry on conversations vis text. Drives me nuts.

Lots of reasons...
1. As a dude, I'd like to tell my friends I saw a hot girl or I saw a monkey just drink his pee on the street, but don't need to pick up a phone and call 10 people to let them know
2. I'd rather text 10 people in one message to tell them where we're going than call all of them individually
3. When I'm sitting at work, I'd rather text than let 100 people hear my conversation
4. Calling someone when you're pooping or watching a New Kids on the Block concert is awkward, but texting during one of those is not

Good point.

Who's still with me in the "Don't have a cell phone" vote?

I probably go through about 2000 texts a month. But, that includes texts while at work, when I'm commuting (the L) and times when I'm in noisy areas that it's easier to respond back by text.

It's an easy way to casually keep in touch with people- sort of like mobile IM. Great for times when you can't talk on the phone nonstop, and you can multitask. It's fairly understood that just cause you text as such, you may not get an immediate response back, but it's faster than me seeing a random call and having to spend all the time checking voicemail.

My parents recently learned how to text, and they actually love it. They randomly text me from time to time- just to touch base or comment on something of interest with our family or in the news. Plus, if they do have a question, you have noticed how much faster they can get an answer if I can text back to them, b/c it's easier to slip a quick text back than call when I'm with clients.

I don't try to have full conversations with people via text, but it's a great quick line of communication when somethings not urgent. Like texting with my buddies while watching sports. I can follow the game and respond when I have a few moment, and not have to sit on the phone and chat it up like a girl. Speaking of which- being able to text your buddies your with about whatever girls you meet out that night, while their right there is well worth it in itself. You can discreetly exchange info while they're all the none wiser.

I love texting, don't have to hear anyones annoying voice, you can send it to everyone my friends and I like to just txt random baseball players names. I just got one! Jeff blauser!

WTF?

I had 1500 Texts last month (sent + recieved).

I Had about 900 Recieved and 600 Sent.

Thats the beauty of it, If I don't want to talk to somebody I just don't text back.

According to my phone bills, I average about 1500-2000 texts a month.

Texting is good when you're somewhere where you can't talk on the phone.

Jesus thats rediculous

We use it at work during a crisis. For instance, during Hurricane Ike text was one of the only ways to communicate for a while with my people along the Gulf Coast. Land lines were down, cell service was overloaded for a while - but texts get through.

Teens can talk during class without actually talking. They can talk to boys/girls they like without actually talking to them if they are shy. yada yada yada.

Asynchronous vs. synchronous communication, maybe?

My college has a thing set up where they text the students if school is canceled or if theres a late start or anything.

I've seen my girlfriends friends bill, she sends 5,000+ a month and the one I seen was over 8,000.

Unlimited texting for my entire family for $9.99 is a steal. Can send pictures or other types of media in my message. The kids can read their message from me anytime during the day and not get into trouble for talking on the phone and vice versa.

I have a $49.99 plan with TMO. That is for 1000 anytime minutes for two lines. I pay $9.99 for another line and $9.99 for unlimited text. I have free My Faves (5 numbers) on all three lines.

With this set up, the kids have NEVER gone over in minutes and text 8-10k texts a month. We use less than half of our minutes each month. I have 3 phone lines with TWO TEENAGERS and it costs me $70 a month.

STEAL.

I text because i dont like talking to people. when i call somone, i just want an answer, not all the bullshit that comes along with it. Hence, i Text. I can get a direct answer from someone without having to engage in 2 mins of conversation that i dont care about.

That's 15 texts per hour, 18 hours a day, everyday. :eek:

I text because I hate small talk... I'll call someone if I want to have a freakin' conversation.

I can't stand talking on the phone. I much prefer texting when possible.

For instance...
My best friend lives in Milwaukee. If we are watching a game or something happens in the news, I'd much rather we have a short conversation texting than get on the horn and pretend we have anything else to talk about.

I was against texting but I like it for this reason, it's cheap and provided that you have a good plan(unlimited texting incoming and outgoing), it saves you big on $$$.

I just find its a different method of communication that is very useful if you don't wish to communicate with someone on your cellphone during the daytime on a weekday.

With my plan I need it for that reason. I only have 200 daytime minutes in my plan that I could use anytime during the day. Once those minutes expire, my phone company charges me .30cents/min just to talk to someone during the day on weekdays. I figured thats a ripoff, and thats how they'd milk me. So Id rather text someone during the day to get my message to them then rather go through that hassle of being ripped off and avoid those high costly charges I would receive if I talked to someone during the day on a weekday.

My daughter can text without looking at the phone. They had a girl on the Early how who could do it behind her back.

yeah, that's gotten pretty easy, but the numbers that have 4 letters instead of 3 (7 and 9) trip me up sometimes.

This. Double this for my wife. Anytime my wife gets in a phone conversation, it turns into a 10-15 minute deal. With texting, it takes about 30 seconds to deliver or request the information.

Because sometimes you want to say a quick something that doesn't require a whole phone call AND you can send it to several people at once rather than call them all just to say WOOOOT the Chiefs signed Pioli AND girls especially think its fun AND it's just another little piece of the whole technology pie and people like technology pie AND you can have whole conversations while you would otherwise not be able to (ie. at work etc) AND when having those conversations you can avoid any of those weird lapses in the conversation AND no one wants to call someone 58 times a day for little things AND it's quick, easy and convenient AND talking on the cell phone eats into your minutes generally whereas unlimted texting doesn't AND.... why does Donger always ask why?

I've gotten at least 60 texts from 5 or 6 different people today and it's a pretty average/kinda slow day.

I have a phone w/ a qwerty keyboard.

Once I got that phone my text messages went from about 200 a month to 1500 a month.

texting is so fast an easy if you know how to use t9word

This.

My sisters and I constantly talk about the people that call you right after you text them. The point is, I didn't want to talk to your ass so why are you calling? Texting'll do.

You're married Donger. When you're single things like these still work:

sry gonna be late
have to cancel tonight - call u tomm
is ur friend hot?
im already drunk

Trying doing that with a phone call with such a clean break.

ever have that friend that never answers the phone? texting they'll never say they didn't get the message.

Texting is good in all sorts. It beats the 'hi, hows it going? what are you doing? Hey I got to go' talk and gets to the point. Its good instead of leaving voice mail which most the time never gets heard leave a text and they'll get it faster than listening to the voicemail which also requires you to punch in a code to access.

This. The worst is when I don't have a Qwerty keyboard phone and someone I'm texting with does (wife has an iPhone, I have a crappo flip phone). She sends off like a barrage of paragraph long texts in the time it takes me to reply with a couple of words.

I take questions on Thursdays.

Actually, I look at who's calling me and if it's someone I don't want to talk to I'll immediately text them and ask them what they want.

Much more efficient.

you'd be the kind of friend I'd text. :)

ROFL

Fascinating. I truly do appreciate all the answers, folks. Highly educational, this thread is.

if you have a wife....it is way better to answer 1 question with a text, than a million with a phone call

I do and she never has just one question. I can speak faster than I can type.

My fingers are just to fat to text. (imagine a bear claw with five sausages)
So when i get a text I just call the person.

Ang

I can respond at my own pace...I don't have to answer if I don't want to... and I HATE talking on the phone...takes too long and too much small talk

Aren't you female?

yeah...still hate it...hate it

MMMmmmmmmm.

I know!!

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o.../bear-claw.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o...e-sausages.jpg

C'mon, you don't ever get stuck on the phone with someone? I used to think texting was a waste, but now? I think it is great.

Plus, it is IN writing. You can pull it up and show the person than you did tell them.

Of course, the bad part is: It is IN writing... so make sure that your texts don't implicate you in any way.

No, I don't. If I no longer wish to speak with someone, I simply hang up. If they call back and I still no longer wish to speak with them, I don't answer.

I just text someone if I have something quick to tell them, so that you don't get into a conversation.

Also useful when bored in a meeting.

I tried that with my wife once... Now, I text, luckily I still have one good eye.

This. what annoys me is if it's the wife, and she texts me (knowing that we're both available to, you know, talk on the phone) asking me some important question that requires my input. I can't type out a novel. so, why not ****ing just call and not text?

I find texting to usefull in areas of poor coverage (all over in western OK) because they tend to go through when a call won't. Also when you want to send a note to someone without all the pesky chit chat time that goes along with a phone call.