“Texting” also known as “text messaging” has became a modern-day phenomenon in communication. It quickly went from a once-in-a-while enjoyment to a day-to-day necessity. Very few people that have cell phones with texting capabilities will go through a day without sending or receiving a text message. Some countries have adopted texting faster than others. For example: in England, a study was done on text messaging. One of the questions asked was, “have you sent a text message in the last two minutes?” A shocking 75% of the women and 25% of the men had sent a text message in the last two minutes. I think it is fair to say that texting is a large part of today’s society.

So why not be successful at texting?

I’ve been studying and utilizing text messaging for years now, and I have discovered and developed the nine most important texting tips to becoming successful at text messaging.

Tip #1 – Abbreviate – Texting uses a different form of communication. Since you only have so many characters you can send (usually 160 characters), you need to abbreviate common phrases. Remember, don’t overdo it and don’t abbreviate uncommon phrases. It’s really annoying when you get a text message that looks like this, “Hey you HRU IHA IDGI TAS LOL.” Use abbreviations that both parties understand.

Tip #2 – Use T9 (predictive text input) – If you look on your cell phone you’re going to see, “abc” on #2, “def” on #3 and so on. If you were to try to type a word without the help of T9, you are going to have to go through all the irrelevant letters to get to the letters you want. Don’t do that, it’s a waste of time. T9 (or whatever your predictive text input is called) will take the buttons you push and give you the most common words relevant to the buttons you push. For example, take the word “CONTROL”, without T9 it would take you pushing your phone pad 18 times and with T9 it would only take you 5 times.

Tip #3 – Don’t send short worthless messages – One of the more worthless text messages are messages that don’t get anywhere and just waste time and rack up the phone bill for someone. For instance, here is a conversation illustrating the difference between a poor texter and a good texter:

Poor Texter

Sent: “Hey” – Reply: “hey” – Sent: “what’s up” – Reply: “not much” – Sent: “what are doing” – Reply: “hanging out” – Sent: “what are you doing tonight” – Reply: “not sure” – Sent: “lets hangout tonight” Reply: ” OK”…..

Good Texter

Sent: Hey, what’s up. Lets hang out tonight.” Reply: “OK”

The Poor Texter sent 5 times more messages then the Good texter. In the poor example, If they didn’t have unlimited text messaging, the sender and the person replying are going to end up paying quite a bit for a bunch of meaningless texts. It’s definintely in your best interest to send text messages with purpose. Over all, you save time, money and you don’t come across looking like an idiot.

Tip #4 – Never send valuable information – When you text message, your true identity becomes masked. No one can see, hear or confirm that the person sending the message is the correct person. This is the perfect circumstance for theft and fraud. Popping up everywhere are people stealing phones and texting numbers in the phone to get valuable information. Don’t become a victim of this. If someone you know wants information, call them and make sure it’s the right person.

Tip #5 – Never text while talking to someone – Texting has become a massive form or communication in today’s society (especially for teenagers). The controversy is that texting and talking are two forms of communication that fight for your attention at the same time. More and more people are trying to text and talk at the same time or worse, choose texting over talking. Remember, if at all possible, real interactions are always better than text interactions. Prioritize and text between real conversations.

Tip #6 – Utilize text messaging to simplify your life – A simple text message can now do anything that a phone call, computer, Internet or planner can do. Now there are tons of web sites and programs specifically built to make your life easier through texting… so why not utilize them? You can find directions, weather, games, news, count calories, keep tabs on flights / friends, transfer files, archive messages, get updates on your daily schedule, and much more. Not to mention, most of these capabilities are free. If you want to learn more about how to utilize texting to simplify your life find another one of my articles with the title “10 Amazing Texting Secrets and Tricks to Simplify Your Life.”

Tip #7 – Be aware of your phone bill and downloads – I just had a friend that paid a $214 phone bill. This was because he didn’t have an unlimited texting plan. He also downloaded a few ring tones and programs. An outrageous bill like this is completely unnecessary and a lot of people fork over this kind of money because they’re not aware about what’s going on and their available cell phone plan options.

The other subject you need to be aware of is the random monthly charges that texting companies try to suck you into. Many companies use Myspace and Facebook to get your number or they get your number from some other way and try to hook you into confirming a monthly charge for their service. Don’t give your number over the web to random websites and never text “Y” to any random number (that usually mean yes to charge a fee). Rule of thumb: Don’t download anything onto your phone that your computer can do, get a texting plan for your needs, and make sure you don’t get caught up into any unwanted monthly fees.

Tip #8 – Don’t become a slave to your phone – One definition of a slave is: a person excessively dependent upon or controlled by another person. Most of us thrive off the feeling of receiving a text message (it’s becoming one of our most common daily feelings). This can become very unbalanced if you’re not aware of it. The question I have is, what is success? Some would call it accomplishments or achievements. Really, it’s basically whatever makes you feel like this day was worth living. The concerning fact is, there’s a growing number of people that are starting to associate a five-hour texting conversation to a successful and fulfilling day.

I saw a woman the other day with her friends that held the phone right in front of her face for the whole time I was around her. It was one of the more worthless lives I saw lived that day. Key point: Get real with yourself and put a little texting in your living instead of a little living in your texting.

Tip #9 – Flirt, Flirt, Flirt – Text messaging is one of the most influential tools to increasing your success in dating and creating attraction. Here’s why: when you’re talking or interacting with someone you have to account for the many attraction triggers that play with or against you. Those triggers are your hair, eyes, clothes, timing, words, tone, voice, energy etc. You mess up on a few of those attraction triggers, and your chances with that person go down the drain. Well, texting eliminates all of that uncertainty so the only attraction triggers you have to deal with is timing and words.

If you send the right words at the right time, you can expect to double or triple your success in dating and make anyone more attracted to you. I have had models and beautiful women dying to meet me just because I sent them the right text messages. Text messaging is a ton of fun and you can become extremely successful with it, if you know what you’re doing.

Source by Tyler Tray

Have you ever heard on the radio, or heard on store speakers, or seen an advertisement , telling you to “Text Biz to 82222” or to text some other word, to some other number, like you may have heard a lot of people did with the “American Idol Voting” a few years back?  Have you ever been tempted to “Text” a recommended “word” to a recommended “Short Code” just to see what happens?  Have you ever tried to use a “Motorola MotoRazr2” cell phone to “Text to a Code” and got stuck on “How Do I Do That?”  If you want to know more about “How To Text to Codes with a “Motorola Razr2,” some of the things you can get when you “Text to Short Codes,” and more about “Short Codes,” I invite and encourage you to read on.

I can tell you how it is done, because the funny thing is, that when I went to try to text “Biz” to “82222” as the advertisement instructed me to do, I had no idea how to do it.  Like most people, regular “Texting” seems easy and happens all of the time, but “Texting to Short Code” is still new to a lot of people, including me, so I went on a mission to find out how.  I did find out how and wanted to share how to “Text to Code” with others.  Below is what I found:

My local US Cellular store is where I started looking for information on how to “Text to Code.”  They had no idea how to “Send a Text to Short Code”.  They did give me the toll free number for Tech Support.  So, I called that number and they could not tell me how to do it either.  While I was on the land line phone with them, and messing around with my Cell Phone, I did accidentally stumble on how to do it.  If anyone else is having the same challenges that I had in “Texting to Short Code,”, following is the solution for how to “Text to Short Code using a US Cellular Motorola MotoRazr2.”

Please note that these instructions are not intended to offend anyone by being too simple for some people, but I wanted to make sure that “Newbies” and experienced, seasoned, “Texters” alike could follow the instructions.

Also, since “Biz Calling Cards” is having a “Grand Opening Launch Party” in Irvine, California, I decided to use them for an example of a “tested and working code” for practice purposes. Of course, if you are available and in the area, you’re certainly welcome to attend the party too.  (No obligation)

Let’s get to “Texting to Short Code” now:

• Press Your “Menu Button” on your phone (The Center Button)
• Arrow To Your: “Messaging Center” (Envelope Icon)
• Press Your Right Top Keypad Button for:  “Select”
• Arrow To: “Create Message”
• Press Your “Menu Button” (Center Button)
• Type your text message (Example: Biz) Note: These words are not usually case sensitive, so it does not matter if you type upper or lower case letters. If you happen to get numbers instead of the alphabet here, you can press your “CLR” key to backspace to erase. In order to change your keypad, from making “numbers” to making “alphabet characters”, you just press your “*” key. Now try to text in the word you want to type.  Example: You would have to press the number “2” key twice, to get to the letter “B”. Give your cell phone a couple of seconds, to recognize that the letter “B” is the letter you wanted before you find the next letter you want. Sometimes your cell phone will try to guess what word you are trying to spell. Good thing for us “Newbie Texters,” that companies and brands keep the words relatively short in order to text to their Short Code Numbers.
• After you have your word typed in, Push Your Right Top Keypad Button for: “Send To”
• Your “Contact List” will come up.
• At Contacts: Arrow Scroll Up or Down to “Voice Mail” (Whichever is closest. On long contact lists, closest is by scrolling up).
• Push Your Left Keypad Button for: “Options”
• Arrow Down To: “Enter Number“
• Press Your Menu (Center Button)
• Type: Short Code Number (Example: 82222)
• Press Keypad Top Right Button for: OK
• Push Keypad Green Button to Dial and Send
• Close the phone.
• Wait for Return Text Message Call Offer
• Press Keypad Top Left Button to: Read Your Message, offer, or coupon.
• Have fun with it.

I had no idea it would be so challenging to find out how to text to Short Code with my carrier and phone, nor how many steps it actually did take to do it, but a couple of times of doing it, and now it’s simple.  Apparently “Texting to Short Code” is much different than just regular “Texting,” which is what one of the hot technology trends are today.

Anyone who wishes to stop receiving text messages from a company they have “Texted a Short Code” to, only needs to:

• Text the word “Stop” to the same “Short Code” number.
• If you can not remember the Short Code number,
• Go to your “Message Center”
• Go to your  “Message In Box”
• Go to the “Message” you received from the company
• Scroll down to the end of the message
• Select “Options”
• Select “Reply”
• Type in “Stop”
• Send

To find out more information about Short Codes, or to look up Company Short Codes, there are (2) directories on line that provide this kind of information. They are:

• http://usshortcodes.com and
• http://usshortcodeswhois.com.

With the first link above, “usshortcodes”, people can go to their “Official CSC Directory” and under option “3″, search brands by the beginning letter of the Company or Brand’s name.

There are some pretty cool codes out there.  Companies have come up with fun and creative ways to use Short Code that can be beneficial to consumers in coupon offerings, event tickets, games, and all kinds of neat stuff.  There is a plethora of information on-line regarding SMS Mobile Text Messaging and Short Codes.  I hope the information on “How To Text Message to Advertised Short Code Numbers Using US Cellular Motorola Cell Phone MotoRazr2” has been beneficial to those who would like to participate in Text to Short Code company offerings.  If you do not have a Motorola MotoRazr2, and still would like to participate in “Texting to Short Code”, please contact the company you got the phone from, or ask a friend who has a similar phone how to do it, or just go to “Google” and search for your phone type and how to “Text to Short Code”.

Happy Texting

Source by Elaine Knudsen

It’s happened to all of us. We’ve deleted a text message only to realize a short while later that we either deleted the wrong message, or we need to retrieve information off one of the deleted text messages. We then frantically search out ways online how to retrieve deleted text messages hoping to find an easy solution. We pour through websites pulling our hair out because we can’t find an easy solution.

Ultimately we walk away dismayed because either we were not able to find any solutions on how to retrieve deleted text messages, or the solutions we found seemed to require so much “detective” work, that the solution itself should be on a an episode of CSI.

Are there really any “easy” ways to retrieve deleted messages?

The good news is that YES, there are a couple options that do exist which enable anyone to easily recover deleted texts, and both are not only very affordable, but both work exactly as advertised.

Before we dig into the solutions, there is one solution that is often discussed, which does not work, although many people do still talk about it.

What does NOT work?

Going to your own phone carrier is not going to be a viable option. Yes, they are required by law to keep records of your communication (SMS, call, etc.), but they are not required to turn over their logs to you, unless requested by a court of law. You cannot call up AT&T, Verizon or Sprint and tell them you want to retrieve a deleted text message from last week because there is something really important within the contents of the message. It just wont work.

The only information AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or any other cell phone carrier is going to provide you is the number, date, and time of a call or message. You can plead all you want, but they will not be able to do anything, so it’s not worth your time to attempt this approach.

What DOES work?

There are actually two options available for anyone who is looking for information on how to retrieve deleted text messages. These options rank from the “quick and easy” to the more difficult, but also the most effective.

1) Quick & easy method.

The ‘quick & easy method’ is to buy a SIM card reader, often referred to as a SIM card spy device. This device looks like a USB reader, and the way it works is you remove the SIM card out of your phone, and then place the SIM card into the SIM card reader, and then plug the reader into your computer. Using the included software (of the SIM card reader), you’ll be able to immediately retrieve and read deleted text messages. The time frame will vary, based on what new information is overwritten on the SIM card, but you’ll at least be able to retrieve and read the last 15-20 messages and scan through your call history and contacts, even if they were all deleted.

Positives of this approach?

• Very easy.
• Enables you to quickly recover deleted messages.
• Does not require software to be installed prior to the message being deleted.

Negatives of this approach?

• A bit costly.
• Limited cell phone support.
• Does not work on CDMA networks.

2) More difficult, but most effective method.

The more difficult, but most effective method’ is to purchase a cell phone monitoring app that is often used to spy on cheating spouses, monitor teen cell phone use, track cell phone location, and locate missing or stolen cell phones. These apps (often called spy apps or spy phone software) are often used by people who want an easy and convenient way to back up and store all their own personal cell phone data. The reason why this method is fast becoming a popular way to back up their own personal cell phone data is because everything happens automatically. There is no “syncing” required, or any buttons or settings to worry about. Your cell phone data (text messages, call history, etc.) are automatically backed up every single day. This means if you ever delete a text message, and then need to quickly recover it, all you have to do is log onto your account and then in just a few clicks, you’ll have full contents of every message that was either sent or received from your phone. In addition, you’ll get access to all your call logs and contacts.

The reason why this is a more difficult method, is because it requires that you download the software from your cell phone’s web browser and install the application on your phone. Not everyone is comfortable downloading cell phone apps from the internet using their phone’s web browser. However, once you do complete the download, the actual installation is similar to installing an app on your computer. If you are willing to roll the dice and go with this method, you’ll be very happy with the results. It’s essentially a real time person back up solution that requires absolutely ZERO work on your part. Everything is done for you. The only drawback with this approach is that it does require you to install the software BEFORE you delete the text message that you want to retrieve. This means you need to be proactive and install the software ahead of time.

Positives of this approach?

• Extremely effective.
• Affordable.
• Full contents of text messages are retrieved.
• Large amount of cell phones are supported, including the popular models such as Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Nokia, and more.

Negatives of this approach?

• Can be difficult if not familiar with installing cell phone apps.
• Software must be installed prior to message being deleted.
• Requires a data connection such as 3G or Edge
• May increase data fees if a large amount of text messages are sent on a daily basis.

There you go. Now you know how to retrieve deleted text messages using a couple different approaches. The next time someone asks you how to retrieve deleted text messages, you’ll know what options exist, and which one is the best for that particular situation.

Good luck!

Source by Xander Cruz

Is the SMS language taking over the English-speaking world?

Is it taking over the non-English speaking world, too? Well, this article is a brief insight into SMS language, and it includes some examples of text messages, with some popular text message abbreviations (aka SMS dictionary) included too. And, as you read it, I hope this SMS language article illuminates rather than irritates.

Remember, it’s not only on mobile phones that such SMS language is appearing these days:

* Facebook and Twitter updates are equally likely to have shorthand sentences that could look meaningless to many

* Instant messaging software like Skype often sees people writing in “txt speak”

* And online forum messages, where everyone is in such a hurry (or people just don’t know any better), are often littered with these so-called text message abbreviations

So whilst you may soon be gritting your teeth (as you read this SMS language article), remember it *is* useful to know a bit of this txt lingo…

TEXT MESSAGE EXAMPLES

Okay, here are some examples of text messages including some classic cell phone abbreviations:

1) My smmr hols wr CWOT

2) I wntd 2 go hm ASAP, 2C my M8s again

Believe it or not, these SMS examples were taken from an English essay submitted by a 13 year old British teenager. At school. Seriously! And their meaning, of course is…

1) My summer holidays were a complete waste of time

2) I wanted to go home as soon as possible, to see my mates again

I could easily make up an SMS example or two, by removing vowels and shortening words as much as possible – lk ths, u c! – but I believe this genuine SMS example is of more educational value.

Yes, that’s how the SMS language is composed – it’s all about word reduction, fewer characters to type (crucial for speed, for example, as well as space on Facebook and Twitter status updates!) But then it’s all about knowing some well-established SMS shortcuts too – no need to reinvent the wheel, I guess. And that’s where text message abbreviations come in, otherwise known as ‘SMS dictionary’.

Here’s a really short example of what I mean:

SMS DICTIONARY

BF – boyfriend

GF – girlfriend

D8 – date

L8 – late

U – you

LMAO – laugh my ass off

IMAO – in my arrogant opinion

IMHO – in my humble opinion

(Er, in my humble opinion, opinions should always be humble!;-) )

And, finally, here are a few txt msg abrs for you to nod your head in agreement with…

TEXT MESSAGE ABBREVIATIONS

BRB – be right back

RUT – are you there?

LOL – laugh out loud

MTE – my thoughts exactly

OMG – Oh my God!

AFZ – acronym free zone (!)

FFS – for *freak* sake

2M2H – too much to handle

2MI – too much information

IK – I know

:-* – kiss

:-@ – screaming

O:-) – saintly

😉 – wink (just in case you didn’t know!)

NB freak is more often replaced with a different word beginning with F! If you get my drift!

—

As with all languages, the SMS language is ever-evolving, and only a few of the thousands of words/phrases/shortcuts available will ever be in common use at any one time. So panic not!

Still, these examples of SMS messages give a flavour of the communication going on out there, via phone or online…

Source by Steve Nash

It appears today that an essential teenage fashion statement is the mobile phone and along with the mobile phone there is a new language which is being created right in our midst, and many of us may not be aware of it. Aided by the rise of social networking sites we are now in the middle of a revolution – and like all revolutions it started out with the best of intentions, but where it goes from here is problematic.

Because of the cost of mobile programmes it was considered important to get the messages across using the least amount of words or characters – a sort of mobile shorthand. This was acerbated by the rise of sites such as twitter which severely limits the number of characters allowed in a message – so to get maximum impact with minimum characters became the challenge.

Now, every generation has its own specific language that is used to separate them from the older generations. Who can forget the “Daddyo’s” of the 50’s films, or the overuse of the words “Cool Man”? In every case, as we grew older such language gradually fell out of use, and we found ourselves bewailing the impossibility of understanding the new generation of teenagers!

But this was spoken language, and as such usually had a limited life; in addition it often did not impinge too much upon the written word. Texting or SMS language is specifically a written language, and has the ability to translate itself into customary communication. We speak the same language, but we write it differently.

In fact, the use of Instant Messaging (IM) is becoming so wide spread that educators are now beginning to recognise the problems that it may cause and some interesting research is coming to light.

It is estimated that up to 74% of online teens use instant messaging and many of them will use it use it several times a week. The use of a completely new way of writing is growing.

At the moment, I would venture to say that that the main exposure to the written language would still be in books, online articles and blogs which use correct formal language; so that even though the new language has a toe-hold it hasn’t yet superseded the main stream – but given time, who knows?

I admire the ingenuity of the texters, but I do worry about the clarity of the message. Miscommunication is common with formal language where the possibility of misunderstandings are less; but with the new texting shorthand how easy is it to understand precisely what the writer wanted to say? LOL can be either “Lots of Love” or “Laughing out Loud” – a misunderstanding could be the end of a relationship!

There are also some real concerns that terminologies used in IM are now being found in school work. Homework essays are being received which are written in abbreviations more usually found on the internet or mobile phone. Increased exposure to the texting revolution increases the sense of common use. One teenage girl admitted “I was so used to reading what my friends wrote to me on Instant Messenger that I didn’t even realise that there was something wrong”

And while supporters of the IM language insist that there is a clear differentiation between it and formal language, this teenager admitted that she was having difficulty in separating her use of texting abbreviation from her use of formal language. In effect, the texting was becoming the normal form of communication.

Some educators now claim that they have to “un-teach Internet Speech”. The amount of researched information supporting this position indicates that constant use of IM is indeed affecting the way in which young people read the written language.

My concern is with clear communication, the ability to get your message across to the listeners or the readers, and convey the precise information without confusion. It is difficult enough with formal language, and many misunderstandings already occur – but I wonder where we are going if IM becomes mainstream.

Cn u c whr it wll nd?

Source by Michele Keighley

It is 11:47PM on a Friday night. As you pull into your long, pitch black driveway, your cell phone alerts you of a new message. You immediately view the message. Your heart begins pounding. “I’m watching you,” reads the message…

Has something similar ever happened to you?

Maybe it wasn’t as horrifying as this example, but many people receive harassing or mysterious text messages. You can choose to ignore the messages or you can trace who is sending you these text messages and put an end to them.

How can I trace the sender of a text message?

View the message on your phone. Look for the sender’s 10 digit phone number, which is usually located above the message body. Write this phone number down, as you’re going to need it to trace the sender.

Tracing the text message sender…

Follow these three steps to find information about the sender:

1. Search Engine – Search Google or Yahoo for the text message sender’s phone number in XXX-XXX-XXX format. Look through the results. If you notice other complaints of messages from the same number, it’s probably just a mass text message spammer — nothing you should worry about, as they are not specifically targeting you. You may find forums or profiles where the phone number has been posted online. Look for the author of these, as their username may give you a clue to their identity.
2. Call or Text the Number – Be careful here! If the SMS message was harassing or illegal in nature, you may not want to do this. However, if you think the message was your friend’s joke, calling or texting the phone number back may prove to be useful in identifying the sender.
3. Text Message Trace Report – While this is not widely known, you can purchase a report for under $15 that will tell you the owner’s name, address, and lots of other information about any cell phone number. This information will let you know, without a doubt, who sent you the text message. It can prove invaluable when addressing your concern to the individual, reporting them to the authorities, or simply putting your mind at ease.

Putting an end to the problem…

Often, letting the sender know that YOU know their identity is enough to make them stop. A text message trace report includes information about their home, other household members, etc. Use this information to your advantage. Most SMS message senders will be surprised that you were able to trace so much information about them and will quickly stop sending you messages.

Your safety comes first

Please, if you feel threatened or feel you are in any danger, call your local law enforcement. Do not take matters into your own hands, as it is not worth the consequences.

Source by Alexander Hoffman

Do you know how to trace text messages on cell phones? My guess is that if you are reading this article, then you probably want to find out! Today I am going to show you how to trace text messages, so you can learn who is sending them with a reverse cell phone search.

A reverse cell phone search allows you to trace text messages, picture messages, or phone calls when you do not know where they are coming from. If you are getting prank, harassing, or annoying text messages and do not know who is sending them, then you need to trace the text message and find the owner using a reverse cell phone number database.

To learn how to trace text messages on cell phones all you really need to do is get the number or numbers that you need to trace, and head over to a quality reverse cellular phone directory. Because cell numbers are private and not available to the public, you will have to pay a one time small fee to access the database, but it is well worth it.

The key is to make sure that you use a database that is not free, because while they do exist, these databases have trojan viruses and malware all over them, and you do not want to damage your computer, because that would cost you much more money! Also stay away from any cell phone databases that want to charge you a recurring fee, because it is not needed.

Learning how to trace text messages on cell phones is pretty easy, so go ahead and give it a try today to find out who is sending all of those random texts!

Source by Dave Jarzenski

According to Nielsen, American teenagers send and receive, on average, 2,272 messages per month. This equates to nearly 80 messages a day. In fact, text messaging is so popular that in North America (as of 2006), 40% of cell phone users actively use SMS. In Europe the average is 85%. Throughout the world, the use of text messaging has developed very rapidly. In 2000, 17 billion text messages were sent. By 2004, that number reached nearly 500 billion, that’s almost 85 text messages per person in the world.

The popularity of text messaging has placed people in positive and negative situations. For example, former Detroit Mayer Kwame Kilpatrick had his whole life turn upside down through a text messaging sex scandal. He went from being the youngest to the only mayor to be charged with a felony in Detroit. On the positive side, text messaging is utilized as a source of information and reminders. Many credit card companies provide SMS reminders on upcoming due dates. With the increased popularity of cell phones with internet capabilities, people would be able to pay their bills upon receiving the alert. In addition, one can send a text message to Google to find out directions, weather, flight status, sports scores, etc. Services like ChaCha allow us to answer any of our questions. All you do is send a question to ChaCha and a live person will send you a message back, within a few minutes, with the answer to your question. However, these convenient services, as well as general text messaging, have its outcomes.

Many experts agree that text messaging has served more bad than good, especially to the teenage population. There are obvious safety concerns, especially with recent proposals to ban text messaging while driving. This obviously creates a distraction to drivers, putting other drivers and pedestrians at risk. Even while walking, people have most of their attention to typing their messages, instead of what’s ahead of them. Especially in busy places, I’ve noticed people still don’t pay attention. The other day I was walking by Times Square and got very annoyed at people who suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk to finish a message. That, and a combination of tourists, makes Times Square a trap.

Teenagers are easily distracted at school. Instead of paying attention in classes, students are texting away. I’ve seen this happen a lot in college. Especially in high schools, this leads to falling grades, and poor report cards. Some kids are up late messaging their friends, which experts believe could have a significant impact on sleep. I’ve seen a lot of people struggle in college because they use their phones so much. I think this is because when you send a text message, it is likely that you are in the middle of a thought. Thus, a response means the inclination to respond right away, distracting you from other things (studying). I saw this happen at my school library all the time. Especially during finals, it would take forever to find a table. It’s really frustrating when people take up study space but just sit there typing on their phones. During group projects, there is always one kid who keeps pulling his or her phone out to send a message. This creates a huge distraction from work and has significant impacts. I’ve also read articles that provide cases of students using text messages to cheat. Even though teachers and professors state not to bring phones to exams, they never enforce the rule.

I would think that increased cellular phone use, especially for text messaging, could have negative effects for your hands. The concept of texting is similar to typing, which has proven to cause problems for many. Although text messaging is not as comprehensive as using a computer keyboard, the increased usage may still be enough to cause musculoskeletal disorder. However, data is very limited on this subject.

What about the use of the English language? One would think the use of abbreviations, short messages, and incomplete sentences could lead to sloppy language skills. Although text messages are brief, they are sent so many times that in aggregate, it could have an impact in linguistics. Many experts feel this way; however, others present an interesting counter-argument. Text messaging may not be all that bad. Some experts add that the use of abbreviations is a novel way of communication that demonstrates dexterity and creativity. This method of communication expands our language capabilities and demonstrates ingenuity. There are cases in which people catch themselves using “text message lingo” in academic papers, while causing no harm for others.

I’ve noted a few ways in which text messaging benefits individuals. One other way is that this method of communication connects people. Many people are in constant contact with each other. They develop a strong interest to know what’s going on in people’s lives and share information that they wouldn’t otherwise. Some conversations, or at least topics of discussion, would never arise in direct dialogues. Sometimes it’s because we’re too scared or forget later on. There are other situations where sending a text message may be more appropriate then conversing on the phone (in a quiet public place). Thus, it adds a lot of convenience and doesn’t distract others.

I have mentioned many ways in which text messaging harms human beings. I’m fully aware that these interpretations are only valid with credible data and statistical analysis. However, the rise in text messaging is a recent phenomenon, and not enough data is available to construct definitive conclusions. Many experts have developed a number of hypotheses that they hope to test in the near future. I’ve come across a few studies, but found a lot of flaws that lead to inaccurate justifications. Some studies sample just a few students from one specific high school, which leads to invalid results. I chose not to share this data or conclusions for these reasons. For a future study, it would be interesting to stratify data by type of cell phone (compare regular phone vs smart phone and see if there is a significant difference in effects – whether positive or negative).

Source by Anupam Kathpalia

The SMS Long Code has hit a level where its adoption rate is significant enough to get attention from Short Code providers. When searching for information about the Long Code you will find plenty of “opinions” for and against its use from providers of both technologies.

As a veteran of 25 years in the telecommunications industry and having worked within both the wireless and landline sides of the industry, I will do my best to present the facts without prejudice and let you the reader decide what you think is right and what is best for your situation.

I will start with what the Long and Short codes are, and a brief history on how they evolved.

Short and Long Code Background

Short Code

The Short Code was created by the primary cellular carriers, CTIA, Neustar and a handful of others in 2003 as a solution for carriers to handle the higher volume, more bursty A2P (Application to Person) text messaging traffic. P2P (Person to Person) text messaging would be handled through standard 10 digit phone numbers. The Short Code was created as a 5 or 6 digit number that is leased on a monthly basis for higher volume A2P traffic at a cost of $500 or $1000. Numbers deemed “common” are $500/month and vanity numbers are $1000/month.

Once a Short Code is obtained the lessee then has to submit to the carriers a quite comprehensive plan outlining how the code will be used. This is usually done through a handful of aggregators that work with all the carriers.

Neither the Short nor Long Code escape the transactional charges that are applied to each message sent and received. The transactional costs to the end user can range from $.02 to $.05 with the Long Code usually being less expensive than the Short Code.

Long Code

The Long Code is a 10 digit telephone number that has been enabled for text messaging. Until 2003, the Long Code was the only way text messaging was transmitted because the traffic was all P2P. There is a lot of controversy over using the Long Code for A2P traffic in which I will discuss later.

For now, there are two flavors of the Long Code, and it is important when reading articles to identify “prejudice” opinions. It would be equally horrible to commit your company to a bad idea as it would to omit something that makes sense.

Reputable companies such as ILEC’s, CLEC’s, Virtual Telephone Service Providers, Cable Companies, ASP’s and others I may have missed, can use the Long Code for text messaging. I will label these companies as legitimate, reputable users or potential users of the Long Code, but will again cover the controversy within this later.

The second flavor of the Long Code will often be referred to as Grey Route numbers. It is a loosely used term, rarely clarified and often used as propaganda to create confusion in the competitive Short Code/Long Code debate. It is most often associated with companies/people who are trying to get around ethical use of the Long Code.

The concerns around Grey Routes are their use for questionable applications, such as spamming (sending messages to someone who has not asked for it, ie… “opted in”). This is usually executed by companies setting up banks of SIM cards, purchased from a mobile carrier and used to blast out unsolicited text messages to many people at once. Because it is coming from what appears to be a cell phone it looks like P2P text messaging, when in reality they are just masking what they are truly doing.

It is called a ‘grey route’ because it is simulating an individual users (P2P) account, however it could be sending out thousands of messages at a time and will slip through the cracks until reported.

Businesses who are approached to work with a mobile marketing company that suggests or conducts their business through Grey Routes should realize the potential risks of losing their money and more importantly the potential concerns for promoting a product through spamming.

The cost for a Long Code is simply a feature charge on top of the regular monthly cost of a phone line. Costs for the additional feature should be in the low 10’s and never 100’s or 1000’s.

The Issues

Both the Short and Long Code have supporters and both have valid points to support their opinions.

Short Code providers defend the right to block 10 digit NANP (North American Numbering Plan) numbers enabled with SMS because they deem any messaging traffic from a 10 digit number, sent to multiple people at once, or being sent at rates faster than someone can type, is spam and therefore will block it.

In a recent Mobile Marketer article, Jay Emmet, General Manager of OpenMarket, a leading aggregator for Short Codes said – “Any organization that sends an unsolicited text message to a consumer is in violation of the “Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003″. One of the key concerns is establishing and maintaining consumer protection. With Long Codes or grey routes, an unscrupulous content provider can send unsolicited SMS to a mobile subscriber, using unauthorized carrier access.”

This is a good example of a statement made about Long Codes that was said for one of two purposes. Either Mr. Emmet doesn’t understand that Long Codes can be deployed through non-grey routes by legitimate, respectable phone companies, which he does clarify by calling them “unscrupulous content providers” or he is labeling Long Codes and Grey Routes one in the same. Maybe he is doing both but lumping together the reputable companies with the spammers, of which no one stands behind spammers from either of the Long or Short code supporters, is an injustice for the reputable content providers and the businesses who would truly benefit from the Long Code.

One of the more challenging issues of the Short Code is it’s unnecessarily costly and there are many approvals to go through, sometimes taking up to six months before it can even be used. Short Code supporters say the system was created this way to protect the end user from annoying and unwanted text message solicitations.

Long Code providers that fall into the reputable category, as I discussed before, feel the text messaging market is monopolized and the wireless carriers illegally block legitimate traffic in fear of it being spam.

Even the reputable Long Code providers shun the use of a 10-digit phone number through a grey route and strongly look down upon any company sending unsolicited text messages to subscribers.

Other issues expressed by Long Code providers are how inter-carrier messaging decisions are made by associations and companies that have a vested interest in their own companies. It is felt that these decisions and actions create barriers for fair competition and ultimately hurts the small business and the consumer.

The Controversy

The companies and associations that control the Short Code are very powerful and are financially very strong as a group. In 2003, the introduction of the Short Code was an example of their power.

The new rule said SMS over a 10 digit number that appeared to be A2P texting would be blocked and all companies sending A2P texting moving forward would have to start paying a monthly lease for a Short Code and a transactional fee for sent and received text messages.

In a class action suite filed by a reputable messaging company which makes its living with solutions for both the Short and Long Codes, filed 4/5/2012 against the Short Codes governing body companies, to list a few: AT&T mobility LLC, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel Corp., T-Mobile USA, Inc., US Cellular, CTIA-The Wireless Association, Syniverse Technologies, Inc., Nuestar, WMC Global, Inc. and others, here labeled “Carrier Defendants”, it is stated –

“The Carrier Defendants conspired to set up systems under which persons transmitting A2P SMS could not use inexpensive ten-digit telephone numbers, but were forced to use common short codes (CSC’s) – five digit (and later six-digit) numbers at materially higher lease and transmission charges with additional fees for connectivity and content review, all of which resulted in substantial overcharges to persons transmitting A2P SMS and materially higher revenues for the Carrier defendants and other defendants.”

Summing that up, the Class Action law suite is claiming the Carrier Defendants have violated Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act of 1890, a landmark federal stature on competition law that prohibits certain business activities that reduce competition in the marketplace (anti-competitive) and requires the US Federal government to investigate and pursue companies and organizations in violation.

Interesting as well, in a closed meeting, as recent as last falls CTIA show in San Diego, CA, the CTIA put it in writing to prohibit A2P messaging using the Long Code in their new inter-carrier text messaging guidelines.

My Take on It

The Short Code was created in a time when text messaging was just starting to catch on. If one keeps in mind a statistic published in 2003 from the CTIA showing monthly volumes of text messages sent in the US were reported to be 1.2 Billion The CTIA’s latest data shows that same monthly number at a whopping 193.1 Billion. That is a 16,092% increase in text messaging volume.

With that said, it is safe to say times have changed. During this time, consumers and companies have gone through an educational and adoption process with text messaging. How it used, who it is used by, and more importantly what the consumer wants out of text messaging has all changed.

I agree that the consumer needs to be protected, but assuming that consumers would tolerate spam is an insult to our very own text messaging education we provided them during adoption and more importantly an insult to the consumer.

Grey routes used for unapproved purposes should not exist and those who choose that route should be shut down and I am sure this process would happen quickly because the average consumer won’t tolerate it, nor pay for it.

What ever the evolution of messaging follows it will only be a band-aid until the next technology comes around. The companies who can adapt in a “fair playing field” are the ones I will be writing about in another 9 short years, the amount of time it took text messaging to grow by 16K percent.

Short Code providers need to let go of their strong hold and realize the industry has changed. If they aren’t aware of these huge changes, maybe they should read this article

Businesses have a legitimate need and right to use both the Long and Short codes but Long Codes can’t support these businesses because traffic will be blocked by the carriers.

Example: A College that needs to send out an emergency alert message to their students, technically, based on the way the rules of inter carrier message are written, cannot use a Long Code because it will either be blocked or throttled to a speed to slow in the time of an emergency.

Overall, such a great job has been done building the communications infrastructure in United States and it should be used to its fullest potential. In order to do so, we can not focus on yesterdays needs. We need to focus on today’s needs and how to meet the needs of the future.

Source by Greg Prescott

Make someone’s morning brighter, day joyful and fill someone’s night with sweet dreams with cute messages.

The cute SMS love message is sure to cheer up one’s mood and will fix a constant smile on one’s face throughout the day- imagine a day of hectic work at office and you are driving back home. A cute sweet SMS from your beloved asking you to drive safely can do some magic really. The feeling that someone cares for you acts like a magic pill and you will be active even after being famished at office.

You don’t need a reason for sending cute SMS just like there need not be a reason to be joyous or happy. Bring a smile on your friend’s face who is feeling low or cheer up your spouse, beloved, brother, mother, sister or father with a cute good morning SMS.

Cute Text Messages for Every Occasion

Cute text messages can be such fun, you send them for every reason and for absolutely no reason. And if you are madly in love, you can flood and overwhelm the girlfriend/boyfriend with cute SMS almost at anytime without any rhyme or reason.

A morning messages, good night message, congratulations message, good luck wishes, missing you SMS, cute love SMS or just about anything under the sun can be sent as a cute text message for almost anybody. It really does not matter as long as your intentions are clear to make some one happy.

Online Cute Text Messages

You would love to send infinite messages to your friends or family members to stay connected or keep them cheerful. Obviously, it is difficult for you to think of cute messages every time. Now don’t get nervous because the sea of cute text SMS you find online will make your job easier and help you choose that perfect cute, sweet SMS for everyone and for every occasion and all festivals. You can actually get inspired from different messages you find on the Internet and create your own messages.

Cute text messages can be a small poem, welcoming the morning, love song, beautiful quote, good night message or birthday wishes; all that a cute message conveys is that you care for that person and are always there by his/her side in all ups and downs. It is a wonderful way to share your happiness and spread the smile/joy into others life as well.

Source by Fatima Waheed