really REALLY Off topic...text messages

RRP

OK I'm a technically challenged old fart. We are being told/challenged/etc that we need to abandon our Verizon account of nearly 4+ years with 2 phones + 700 minutes per month to get 2 phones with text messaging and all that other crap. I just don't grasp why anybody wants to type short abbreviated messages (TEXT) when they can just call and ask "hi, what's new" or what ever! Please explain what is reallllllllllly escaping me about this texting crap!

PS our present phones have the cameras and all that "crap" too. Maybe I should sign off with...crank crank HELLO...

Spaceman Spiff

Welcome to the OF's club.

I have a Verizon super dumb phone - no camera - nada.

Love it.

Spacey

Klag

Texting is great when you have to be quiet, like at work or at class or if someone is sleeping near you etc.

PhilsGrill

It's mainly for your teenage daughter to break up with her boyfriend without talking.

Celtic Wolf

WTF U Don't want 2 txt ur BFF

Whomever told you that you HAVE to switch phones and add additional services is 100% incorrect.

By LAW a Telco can not require you to purchase new services. In fact they can't even suggest to you that you upgrade. All they can do is ask you if you'd like to discuss ways of improving your service. They can require you to switch phones if and only if they discontinue a technology that your phone requires to function properly. Like if they switch all phones from CDMA to GSS.

Cell companies are required to educate ALL their employees on these regulations every year.

Grandpas Grub

Got a superduper blackberry. I use 1 feature - phone.

A while back the kids, well one of the kids told gramma and I we needed a cell phone. The next year we needed better this and that and text. Never did any of that.

So now, the kids will call the wife's phone, it ring tones twice. Neither one of can move that fast so by the time we get to whereever we we left the phone it stops ringing. The homephone rings, we shuffel as fast as we can stoppig to catch some oxygen and trudge of to the other end of the house.

The damn home phone stops and the other cell starts ringing. Off to the other end of the house again. I am now hobbling off to catch the other cell before it goes to messaging which I have no idea or interest to learn how to get some message.

Now the first cell rings again. This time I am prepaired and grap it because I took it with me.

The message. Can you watch the kids. Sure if I am still breathing I respond.

Now I need some fanny pack or something to carry the phones around with me.

I take the phones to the bathroom, outside the shower this is crazy.

And thee kids want me to text back and forth. I told them I would have to carry around a note book with all the acronym's.

If they want to communicate with me they are going to have to talk. I also told them if I don't answer the phone I'm dead or taking aaah - in the bathroom.

Thats my 4 bits worth.

GG

Boxerpapa

I find texting is good for quick notes to someone.

You can avoid talking to someone who likes to talk too much.

Send picture messages to you or your computer.

You're on your way home from work, the wife can send you the grocery list...etc.

Funny thing, a new law went into effect as of July 1st here in California...you have to use a handsfree device or speaker phone whle driving and can't put the phone up to your ear (in which I have no problem with), but you CAN text message while driving.

Celtic Wolf

Three words - Unlimited text messaging. Who needs acronyms??

I now type with four fingers. Two on my QWERTY Keyboard and two thumbs on my smart phone.

Grandpas Grub

"but you CAN text message while driving"

One can also sleep while driving. Texting while driving is becoming a pretty big problem.

But I guess the text/driving can be argued both ways.

I can see the value in texting for 'other' folks.

GG

Little Steven

Kent,

That was funny :laugh:

Steve

Grandpas Grub

The sad thing is, it's true and worse, more than once.

I tell the kids and they laugh their heads off. I think they do it on purpose.

I finally bought a cordless phone set with 3 phones. I place them throughout the house. I'll show them (the kids).

Kent

Little Steven

Kent,

I was in meetings all day with five engineers from the same company. Their corporate policy seems to be that everybody gets included or copied on any technical e-mail. Took 8 hours to get through what should have been a three hour meeting. I'm watching them as they are thumbing in their responses and saying "It didn't used to be like this" At lunch I got to watch the best baseball plays of the week and most of the Bret Farve story. Technology eh!

Steve

Celtic Wolf

Sophisticated People remember to put the phone on mute while taking a P..

Favre appears to have been traded to the Jets..

Little Steven

CW,

I thought it was AZ at lunch. Things change fast. I work in the steel industry. Sophisticated folk are few and far between.

Steve

Grandpas Grub

Actually I love the technology advances. I think of the grandkids and future grandkids, I really believe they are smarter than my/our generation - I think they have to be to survive.

My oldest grandson, 11, was with his other grandfather up at their cabin. The beavers had built a damn. The grandfather had to do some work on the property and remove the damn. He rented a backhoe, this backhoe operates with some petals and a joystick.

One day our grandson was up at the cabin, the backhoe was driven to the stream. The grandson got in the seat, with permission, and with only verbal instruction began to move some some rocks, boulders to sure up the stream bank. It was amazing how quick he got to productive work. I think their dexterity is amazing.

Fun stuff to watch and frusterating when the young kids say grandpa, let me do that, I can do it faster. And, dang it they can.

GG

Little Steven

Kent,

It's natural to the young'uns. I agree it's all good. I just think for us old ferts, it just gets to be too much sometimes. This particular company put their whole engineering staff from all over the continent in one room today and most of their time was wasted by mundane stuff that didn't need to be dealt with at the moment. The constant distraction kinda prevented us from coming up with the best solution, but then, what the hell, we can e-mail each other. :laugh:

Steve

Ross in Ventura

Kent,
It dose not work for me, I have to have my glasses on to answer!
Ross

Spring Chicken

"Text messages!!!" What's that?

Got one at home that has Color ID that don't work. Can't tell if they are black, white or purple.

Spring "Too Much Technology Can Go A Short Way" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

HungryMan

I hate texting and I don't. Normally I'm doing something and I don't want to stop so I can take 5 min to type one line of text. I can say it over the phone. The cell phone is great when you need it, but it has become the number one annoyance in my life.

Big'un

The only advantage I can think of is that other folks can't hear your conversation. If I don't have to listen to someone gossip in a restaurant about how "Elroy did her wrong", I'm fine with that. Just don't expect me to text you, I only know how to talk on a phone. :P

icemncmth

About the only time I text is when my wife is at work. I will let her know I am heading home. But since I carry a crackberry for work most of the time I email her.....

StumpBaby

I hate all this texting crap. I was at my sistahs place on the lake in new hampshire with my nephews and nieces an whatnot, and one night they was all sittin round the livin room textin each other. I don't get that at all. If someone texted me from across the room i'd hittem in the head with a toilet brush.

Another thing what I don't care for is this....

Durin this same trip my nephew stood up an announced that he was going to the outhouse to take a dump. I said rather loudly "don't take one of mine, I'm saving it for somebody!" He looked at me funny, but he didn't get it at all. It's just plane bad englishes..if somethin is makin a grand exit..your *takin* nuttin.. your *leavin* somethin is all. If you really had a dump takin wonder object you could make a whole lotta money walkin folks dogs for them and save the world a whole lotta them plastic baggies two. The world gives you lemons you make lemonade...

StumpBaby

Bacchus

Another advantage of texting is that you can message someone whom you know may be busy doing something else, and will check their phone when they are available.

Michael B

But if you get one of these wiz kids at a check-out counter, and give them a 10 dollar bill and a nickel for an 8 dollar and 2 cent ticket, they have no idea how to make the change.

Unknown

Be carefull with thoes cordless phones. I did the same thing. Now I find them laying all over the house instead of charging in the bases. All the batteries are discharged and I cannot answer the phone. Now where is my cell phone? LOL

Spring Chicken

Looked it up. Sounds to me they're talking in thumbs and missmelling a lot of words.

I 'spose it could be helpful to those who can't talk or too bashful to talk, or maybe those who don't really have anything to say.

Spring "(Insert Text Box Here)" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Michael B

I finally got my son to call. All he would do before was text message. I wrote him a 2 page letter and sent the whole thing as a series of text messages from the Verizon website. It got my point across.

Big'un

I've got that feature on my phone. I call it voicemail! :woohoo:

fishlessman

just a land phone. my service doesnt even include local service, ill pay the .06 cents per minute calling for that pizza once every 5 or so years. i do have a radio on the boat to find out where the fish are though. fishlessman on sebago for a radio check, whos fishing today

Gunnar

Texting seems kind of pointless when you have email. It may be a little quicker. But I do like the advancement in cell phones. I was out of town from last Wednesday till Sunday evening and I occasionally kept up with the forum on my cell. :P Why wasn't I warned about the BGE addiction prior to my purchase?

Unknown

Texting is evil. :laugh: We had it diabled to even receive on our verizon phones.