# George Takei's Facebook posting asked everyone to text him **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 26, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582 "2020-02-26T23:03:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dan39](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/258eb7/32.png) [@dan39](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dan39)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/1 "2020-02-26T23:03:08Z")
I’m not sure how many of you are following George Takei on Facebook, but yesterday I received a text message from my cousin and she said George is asking people to text him. So I checked out his post, and it actually said, “I may regret this, but text me at \”. I’m thinking “red flag” at this moment. Why would George Takei post his number for everyone to send a message to text him? Out of sheer curiosity, I did send a text message to that number, and got a canned message back saying “click this link” and stuff like “so we can continue the chit-chat”. Oh, boy, another red flag. Again, without divulging any personal information (other than now whoever I texted has my phone number), I clicked on the link and it took me to a page asking for my personal details (name, address, phone number, email address, gender identitiy) etc… GIANT red flag! Then I started reading the Terms and Conditions from some company called “Community” which gives celebrities public phone numbers so fans can contact them. But, I also found that by signing up you agree to receive text messages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays, and that you agree to have marketers contact you by voice. I’m thinking, NOPE, no way, uh uh! THIS is why people should read Terms and Policies because if you skip over them, you don’t know what to expect! I told my cousin that I would NOT be doing this now or any time in the future! Poor George, I wonder if someone sabotaged his Facebook page, or if it was truly legitimate! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2020, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/2 "2020-02-26T23:30:17Z")
When told about this problem, George exclaimed…well, you finish the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/3 "2020-02-27T01:20:12Z")
I’m not sure if this sort of thing is legally actionable so in sue-lieu, what are your options? ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/4 "2020-02-28T18:18:08Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m not sure if this sort of thing is legally actionable so in sue-lieu, what are your options? **golf clap** ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/5 "2020-02-28T18:50:28Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m not sure if this sort of thing is legally actionable so in sue-lieu, what are your options? He care. Ooh. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/6 "2020-02-28T21:25:22Z")
Amy Schumer did the same thing a few months ago on Instagram. I texted her, got a canned response, and nothing since then. Maybe she was the test run? Doubt she has as many followers as George. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/7 "2020-02-28T22:37:35Z")
After seeing this thread today I scrolled through twitter. I very rarely go on twitter so it makes this a bit of a coincidence. I noticed that Misha Collins posted something similar, a phone number with a request for fans to text. He has 2.9 million followers so I’m doubting he is replying to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/8 "2020-02-28T23:21:17Z")
I gotta find a link to this news story, but it’s been a while so don’t hold your breath. I recall seeing this first mid-last year. Some company has stood up a service where you can ‘interact’ with celebrities through text. Obviously its a crew of people pushing carefully crafted messages out to the fans, with occasional actual celebrity interaction as well. Lemme look. edit: Found it. This sounds like the same deal. Ashton Kutcher funded some startup to facilitate text and online interaction with fans. In the story, it starts the same way, you’re seemingly provided with his text number and you’re invited to go nuts. > **[The Phone Number Ashton Kutcher Tweeted Comes From a Startup](https://www.wired.com/story/ashton-kutcher-tweeted-phone-number/)** > > If you tried to text Ashton Kutcher today, you were prompted to sign up for a new messaging service called Community. ---
**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:** [February 29, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-takeis-facebook-posting-asked-everyone-to-text-him/848582/9 "2020-02-29T05:21:52Z")
The way you described it at first, I thought you were saying his account got hacked. It does seem an odd way to set this up, acting like it’s going to be getting in personal contact with him when it’s really just setting up a mailing list. I would expect that, while it would attract more people at first, the canned response would wind up alienating people and thus get fewer users than just being direct about what it is.