I couldn’t agree more! “They screw you with the text messages” -in my best Joe Pesci voice. Email is superior to texting, and texting is just another way the a-holes at the phone company stick it to you. I suggest EVERYONE stop texting altogether. Knock that Twitting crap off too while you are at it! -BG
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Read the full article here.
You see, I have a strict policy against text messaging. Not because I am against the technology. Rather, I am completely appalled by the money-grabbing techniques of wireless carriers.
There are two underlying assumptions behind a question like “Did you get my text message?” First, it assumes that a phone number is for calling and texting. This assumption also presumes that I am even able to receive text messages (which is not the case). The other is that texting is an intregal method of communication.
Those assumptions are exactly what phone companies depend on.
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The bigger problem with these packages — the one that really gets under my skin — is how they treat sent and received messages exactly the same. If I have the plan allowing for 200 text messages, sending you one message reduces my covered messages to 199. If you respond, I am at 198. The problem here is that I am never offered an opportunity to reject your text message.
This is very different than the model around phone minutes. For example, if I have one minute remaining on my phone plan and I call you and leave a message in one minute or less, then my minutes will be reduced to 0 minutes.
If you call me back, and I am concerned about paying for extra minutes, I don’t have to answer and I don’t have to check my voicemail. I effectively have a way to protect myself from losing my precious minutes and incurring more expenses. I have no such opportunity with text messages.
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Finally, texting is a black hole. If someone calls my phone and I cannot answer it, that person will get my voicemail. If someone texts me and I don’t get it for whatever reason, there is no indicator to the sender that the message was never received. They don’t know if I ignored it or if I did not get it — hardly the best form of communication. It is akin to putting a message in a bottle and dropping it in the ocean.
All this has led me to a strict “No Text Messaging” policy. So, when people ask me, “Did you get my text message?” The answer is always no.
