# as of today, I can text **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826 "2012-08-17T23:18:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826/1 "2012-08-17T23:18:19Z")
someone gave me a phone that seems to work and I celebrated by adding 200 texts a month for $5 to my plan. _note to self: figure out how to keep track_ so far I think it’s dumb and I’m amazed at how people can stand it. unless I just have really chubby thumbs and will get better at it. wait - are they counting _incoming_ texts as well? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826/2 "2012-08-18T00:58:50Z")
Yes, in general incoming texts count against you, but only after you read them. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826/3 "2012-08-18T02:51:46Z")
Are you in the US? Then probably, yes, your incoming texts count. Not so much in other places. ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826/4 "2012-08-18T02:55:18Z")
I was anti-texting for a long while. Even went so far as to block them from my phone completely. As with most things, I move in my own timeframe and have now come late to the party. I love texting. A few people I text a lot, others not at all or rarely. I put my mother on my plan and added unlimited texting - that was the best thing I ever did. Saves me from a lot of phone calls with her never-ending monologues. 🙂 It took me awhile to appreciate the concept even after I’d turned them on. I think you’ll find you like them after some time. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826/5 "2012-08-18T02:55:47Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yes, in general incoming texts count against you, but only after you read them. Wait… when you open a message, it sends a confirmation back? I guess the purpose is to not charge you for spam, but this would likely be a feature of every single phone, not the provider, no? It’s rare that an industry would adopt something entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826/6 "2012-08-18T09:31:45Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Wait… when you open a message, it sends a confirmation back? I guess the purpose is to not charge you for spam, but this would likely be a feature of every single phone, not the provider, no? It’s rare that an industry would adopt something entirely. The providers have control over what goes on the phone. The providers have control over the entire industry (at least in the US). ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-of-today-i-can-text/631826/7 "2012-08-18T15:39:01Z")
> [@](#): > > I was anti-texting for a long while me, too. but it turns out that, like facebook, if I don’t participate there are some interactions I just miss out on. plus there’s the curmugeon factor, which I’d like to minimize. > [@](#): > > The providers have control over what goes on the phone. The providers have control over the entire industry (at least in the US). can we use this as a cite for how “the market” isn’t always the best way to decide things? because phone service shouldn’t be this stupidly complicated and user unfriendly. GRUMP :mad: