OK, I get the whole “texting” thing when it comes to texting my wife with her full 10-digit phone number.
But how does texting work for those 5-digit numbers? Do you just dial those 5 numbers and then hit Send? Aren’t there are a more finite number of possible combinations available on a nationwide level for just 5 numbers?
Also, a morning radio show I listen to has a texting contest where the 3000th text wins a prize. 3000?!?!? Every text costs me one “minute” so I assume there are plans out there that offer unlimited texting. Is that normal? (I have pay-as-you-go, so I don’t know what actual contracts offer)
I don’t really do the text thing that often and don’t know anyone who does, so these may seem kinda dumb but I really haven’t a clue about this. Thanks!
These are called short codes. The gist of it is that the mobile providers know to whom to route the messages received by those various short codes. Codes that work across carriers are 5 or 6 digits in length; those shorter are used only for your provider.
I would quickly go broke at that kind of text rate. I have used 2,158 since 03/04 (my bill close) and will easily push a 100 or so more over the next couple days. My provider (T-Mobile) has an addon for their family plans for $20 / month for unlimited SMS and MMS for all lines on the plan.
Most providers do have an unlimited plan, and every one of my acquaintances has unlimited messaging.
You can also send a text message to an email address. What number/address did the radio show use? I’m picturing some poor person scrolling through 3000 txt messages on the radio program’s cell phone to pick a winner.
I guess the gist of that sweepstake is that the person who sends the 3,000th message to be received by the radio station wins the prize, so the winner (like everybody else) has to send just one message - and wins if 2,999 other people before him did the same. You don’t have to send 3,000 messages all by yourself; at least, that wouldn’t make sense to me. It’s not a contest who’s the fastest texter, it’s a contest to pick the lucky one who texted his message not too early nad not too late.
I was thinking this was going to be a thread seeking explanations for actually using text messaging, which I totally Do Not Get. I’ve sent a total of one my entire life: a birthday greeting to my (twin) sisters about three years ago. It seems like a huge nuisance and giant bother, to me, when you can just talk. :dubious:
**Bambi **wasn’t saying they’d go broke for sending 3,000 texts, they were saying they’d go broke if it cost a minute worth of minutes to send a single text.
I’ve got unlimited texts, I think it’s $10 a month for all four phones on our family plan. I’m not too sure, because I send my mom one check for my insurance and my phone bill. I’ve only got one friend who doesn’t have unlimited texts, but he doesn’t really use his cell phone, either.
Unfortunately, my daughter (and many of her friends) send about 10,000 text messages per month. It is absolutely astonishing how fast she can create and send a message on a phone keyboard that is NOT alphanumeric. She also spends too much time using IM at the computer and I am convinced she can type 150 words per minute. I had to replace her keyboard because she wore all the letters off the keys (not for her, but for me - she doesn’t need to see the letters on the keyboard to type like I do).
There’s a couple of those floating around. The two main advantages are that you don’t have to actually talk. This is useful when you’re in class or at work (but not at the movie theater. The other is when you just want to convey something simple, “Pick me up a burrito,” “Need a ride to practice?” That way, you don’t have to go through the rigmarole of “Hello?” “Hey, what’s up?” “Oh, not much, yourself?” “Oh, nothin’… hey, I was wondering if you needed a ride” “Yeah, dude, if you don’t mind.” “Okay, see you in a bit.” “Cool, later dude.” “Later” PITA.
Exactly. I don’t use my mobile much anyway, but the text-to-voice ratio is very high. I make maybe two or three voice calls a month on average, but send maybe 100 texts a week. It just cuts out the unnecessary and inane chit chat and let’s you get to the point, plus you don’t disturb those around you by bellowing into the phone.
Get her to turn on the “read receipt” function. The recipient never even knows that it’s on, either. Very sneaky, meaning you can’t say “oh, I never got it” as the receipt is sent once the message reaches the destination phone.
:eek: If I have my calculations right, that’s like 3 messages a minute, every minute, for 18 hours each day (I’m assuming 8 hours for sleep) for a month!
Second, 10,000/30 = 333 per day. I’m assuming that we can divide that by 2 (because received messages count, too), so say 160 per day. Even over eight hours, that’s still only 20 an hour, or one every 3 minutes (not three a minute). Considering it’s more likely done in bursts talking to three or four people simultaneously, it may be unreasonable, but it’s not unrealistic.
Texting is much nicer for the receiver because they can choose their timescales. If my phone rings it’s saying “answer me now” (and you wouldn’t believe the people that get uppity because I’ll let my phone go to voicemail even when I’m near if I happen to be busy at the time). If I get a text then I can finish what I’m doing and check it later.
If my house is on fire you can phone me, if you just want me to pick up milk on the way home then a text is much more appropriate.
Plus it’s much easier to send a text to several people, it’s much more useful to exchange information (no need to find a pen or memorize a phone number).
Nice one Jjimm. I don’t have a mobile so wasn’t aware of this function. She’s as blind as a bat so wouldn’t know about it either, I’ll pass it on next time I bump into her though. Thanks.
I wasn’t assuming that included received messages, since the comment said the daughter (and her friends) send over 10,000 messages a month. I assumed this meant they each send 10,000 messages, not together.
So, anyhow, 20 an hour or 40 an hour. It just seems astronomically high to me. I know people do it–I just don’t know how it’s possible without dedicating half your life to texting.
