Text Msgs... What's the appeal?

[SprintUserHere1]

Are you charged for text messages if someone sends you a text & you don't read it? I'm just curious.

I don't think I would ever use text messaging, but I've got 500 per month for free on my retentions plan. I'm trying to figure it out, though. I assume I can send messages from my computer or my phone.

But, someone please explain to me the appeal of text messaging. I am thinking that if I needed to send someone a message, I would probably just call them.

Again, I'm showing my age... But, I'm not sure that I understand the purpose of text messaging.

[Nagual]

I'm probably younger than you and I don't understand them either.

They're good to use in a pinch, and can be useful as alerts from credit card companies, banks, etc. or to pick up a download easily when they contain an address...but as a communication method, I don't really see the appeal unless a phone call is somehow awkward. But they are used so much, there must be something to it.

What DOES piss me off is that the cell companies do charge for just receiving them (will be $0.15 on Sprint soon, if not now). It costs them basically nothing. When you consider that in Europe and other places incoming calls are free, this is even more ridiculous.

[SprintUserHere1]

So, how can I get those alerts from my bank, etc?

[SprintUserHere1]

I was actually thinking about calling retentions to see if I could "trade" text msg for something else... a better loyalty discount, etc. - or maybe fewer texts for a trial of vision.
But, in all honesty, I really don't see myself ever using text or vision. I MIGHT use them a few times a year... maybe? I don't know.

[noshooz]

I find them most convenient when I'm in a situation where a voice call is inappropriate or not possible due to, for example, a loud environment. They're also handy when I just have one quick message to send. I exchange them with my teenage kids a lot.

[Dragonman]

Wirelessly posted (Treo 650: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/hspr-H102; Blazer/4.0) 16;320x320)

I find them most convenient when I'm in a situation where a voice call is inappropriate or not possible due to, for example, a loud environment. They're also handy when I just have one quick message to send. I exchange them with my teenage kids a lot.

Ding, Ding, Ding...Good answer.

And I am 42 Y/O just to show it's not a generational or age thing. I also get the free Sprint txt alerts (regular messaging rates apply) I get joke a day, Tigers scores in the 6th inning and final score, weather and news sent right to my phone. Pretty cool way to take advantage of Unlimited SMS.

[Proctor]

It has the same appeal as instant messaging, but you can take it with you wherever you go. And the appeal to instant messaging is that you don't have to stop what you're doing to have a conversation, and the person you're sending the message to can respond to it as they have time, and briefly.

That being said, I really don't use them because anyone I want to have those types of conversations with is either on an IM all day or I can get through email. But for those who aren't chained to a computer all day, or who are out and about after work and are pretty social, it's a way to quickly commnincate as you have the chance to.

[kulnet]

I like em. Granted, I don't use very many of them. I use about 30 out of the 500 that I am alloted each month. Thank goodness I'm getting them free. Anyway, I like having them just in case. Plus, my fiance likes to text so I have them for her I guess.

[scotsboyuk]

I prefer to text someone for a quick conversation than call them, and I imagine many people in the UK probably do too. Of course there are times when a text message is better than a call e.g. in a meeting, in a lecture, you're somewhere quiet, etc. However, I think many people in this country probably use texting in place of calls even if they could call someone, texting has simply become ingrained in popular culture.

An interesting comparison is that in the second half of last year there were 48.7 billion text messages sent in the U.S. In the UK, for the same time period, approximately 16.45 billion texts were sent. The U.S. has a population of approximately 300 million, the UK 60 million. In relative terms the average Briton was sending 1.7 more texts than the average American, the better part of double.

[SprintUserHere1]

If I don't have Vision, can I get my emails forwarded to my phone as text messages? Also, how do you guys sign up for those daily alerts? I might give that try, since the texting would otherwise go to waste on my line.

[BigJohnson1788]

Are you charged for text messages if someone sends you a text & you don't read it? I'm just curious.No, if you don't read it, you won't be charged. What I usually do to save messages is open the phone when I get a txt, read it without pushing anything, hit cancel, then delete it. This way it doesn't count as if you read it because when you hit cancel, it still appears as a new message.

If I don't have Vision, can I get my emails forwarded to my phone as text messages? Also, how do you guys sign up for those daily alerts? I might give that try, since the texting would otherwise go to waste on my line.Yes, txt messages and Vision are 2 separate things. The only way that I know to get Sprint's daily alerts is to go the Vision homepage on your phone and select the alerts option. You will get charged though if you do this cause you don't have a Vison package. For your email, you should enter you account and look for mobile mail options. That should allow you to enter you # so your emails can be fowarded to you.

[SprintUserHere1]

cool... I'll try that.
Hey, love that trick with the text messages.
I never would have thought of that!
How sneaky of you... lol!!!

[YoungCEO]

No, if you don't read it, you won't be charged. What I usually do to save messages is open the phone when I get a txt, read it without pushing anything, hit cancel, then delete it. This way it doesn't count as if you read it because when you hit cancel, it still appears as a new message.

Really? I have a feeling, a strong one, that this is incorrect. My gf doesn't read alot of her message, but I'm pretty sure it still shows up on the bill, read or unread. Maybe I'm missing something...

[SprintUserHere1]

Oh, I found on the sprint website a list of "text alerts" & I don't think it has anything to do with Vision. I am looking forward to trying the daily weather reports & doppler alerts. That might be a nice feature, since the Weather Channel website charges $$$ for that service.

[Nagual]

I don't think that "don't open/click" trick will work on my phone--because you have to actually open them to read anything, at least on mine.

[Shoshana]

If you receive it they'll bill you. My sis ter got 2 text messages before we got her a plan and she didn't read them - she didn't know how to get to them.And they were charged.

Anyway, I use them mostly to send info to my husband - like if I'm going somewhere I'll tell him. I text him so i don't interrupt him at work. (Makes me sound like a six year old, no? And no he's not a control freak. It's a safety thing. Also if he sees I'm going to CostCo or something and remembers we need something he can let me know)

And if he's at the store I'll send him the shopping list. Or if he needs a telephone number I'll text it. Or if he has an appointment. Reference stuff you know?

And last year before and during Hurricane Katrina I was able to text The Nephew and get him out of NOLA and keep track of him after he went to Baton Rouge LA even after the voice calls wouldn't go thru.

After that, during Hurricane Rita I was calling gas stations and relaying gas info to an evacuee in East Texas who was stranded - after the voice calls wouldn't get thru.

I still prefer voice calls for chatting. I can talk faster than I can type on a keyboard....

[BigJohnson1788]

Don't know what kind of plans you all have but if I don't read it, it doesn't count and if you are getting charged for it, you should call Sprint cause you really can't control people sending you text messages.

[cliffr39]

the TOS used to say you are charged for a text message regardless of delivery... but I can't find it now.

[Charvana]

I'm ooooollllldd (well, over 40; that's old if you ask my teenagers), & I use texts a LOT... I use them to post to my blogger account (very handy for posting messages to yourself, especially when your phone memory is running low, but i also use it for bloggerish posts, too), to communicate with my teenaged daughters (they can't take phone calls in school but they can text message), to send directions, etc to people who don't have internet-enabled phones or who won't use their wap to get directions (like my family!!! we all have unltd data, but i think i'm the only one who actually uses it).

also-- my family doesn't text each otherl we usually picture mail one another... picture mails don't count against our text msg balances, so the kids can save their true text msgs for communicating w/ their friends who don;t have sprint.

[Gadgetgirl]

They come in handy, although I prefer to use a qwerty keyboard when responding to them. I have a 15y.o. neice that's been txting me like crazy as she's got her new phone. Like someone else mentioned, they are good for alerts (news, bank info, etc...) and if you ever join Upoc.com, you'll want a txt plan. I had to cut off text from there as my phone was getting lit up with messages.