Is it more expedient to vote for American Idol with a text message?

[Rilchiam]

Although I'm an avid viewer of "American Idol", I haven't tried to vote for anyone since the second week. I just can't get through! Busy signal after busy signal: I think I got through twice. And both those times, I was trying to vote for more than one person, but I wasn't able to place the number of votes I wanted to.

Now, it wouldn't surprise me if it was easier to send a text message. I've never used Nextel, but is my assumption correct: that when you submit your message, it goes into a queue, so it doesn't matter how many other people are sending messages (as long as you submit within the two-hour window) because they'll all get relayed eventually? IOW, they've made it so you're at an advantage if you have Nextel, and a disadvantage if you don't?

[fc1114]

The text should be easier. I prefer to use text messaging over using the phone.

[Rilchiam]

Originally Posted by fc1114

The text should be easier. I prefer to use text messaging over using the phone.

I shoulda made this a GQ. What I'm asking is, do you need an open line to send a text message? Or do you just hit "send" and if there are people ahead of you, your message goes into a queue? Because that's what's stopping me from voting: nonstop busy signals when I try to call.

[Bambi Hassenpfeffer]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

I shoulda made this a GQ. What I'm asking is, do you need an open line to send a text message? Or do you just hit "send" and if there are people ahead of you, your message goes into a queue? Because that's what's stopping me from voting: nonstop busy signals when I try to call.

SMS works like this.

1. You hit send on your phone.
2. Your phone passes it off to the network message center.
3. Your message center passes it off to the network message center for your recipient.
4. Your recipient's message center passes it off to your recipient's phone. If delivery fails because the phone is out of area or off, then the message center will hold it for delivery, usually for 72 hours.

Which is to say that no, you don't need an open line. Text messaging is not direct from phone to phone, so your recipient can be doing whatever on the phone when your message comes in. In fact, my phone is capable of sending / receiving SMSes while on a call.