Respect SMS
First, a quick lesson or two here about what I am talking about. SMS is short for Short Message Service and is indeed the process by which cell phones and a few 1000 other technological wonders send those little one line messages that in range of 140 to about a maximum of 160 characters in length. So along with SMS, notes on social networks, and even tag lines, I got a few peeves I am going to, ahem, talk about.
- SMS messaging (or TXTing as most of us call it) should be used for things that really matter, especially when going to a phone. I guess there are a few of us that have unlimited plans for SMS, but most of us do not. For the record you can also send SMS (or TXT) messages using a lot of the instant message programs that are out there. Those can also be received there, so if you are addicted to your crackberry, er… blackberry and unlimited SMS messages a month, we can talk just fine and I can keep up a brisk conversation using my keyboard instead of my nine digit phone dial pad.
- So anyway, say something if you are going to send one and it does not merit more than two-three characters consider if it is worthwhile saying. Basically come on, don’t send me those short one and two character responses eating up my txt message count unless it really is merited.
- Today I have received four SMS messages that were ‘chain’ SMS, stating blah-ti-blah-blah and you need to send this on to 10 people in thirty seconds or you will die… Okay, everyone knows, or should know, I do not do that kind of stuff anyway. But just in case you did not know, I am not one to send on such things, SMS or email or even good ol’ fashioned snail mail. I delete, trash, or otherwise dispose without regard to sender or content once I realize what it is. Granted the network can handle it today, but if I send one of those out to 10 friends, how many do I then get back immediately? And I have seen such emails clog up email servers to the point of not working, cause guess who has friends at the same place you work?
- Going with that same theme, I have been getting more than a few notes and have even seen some tag lines on all of the social networks (Facebook and MySpace especially) that say something like send this message so we will know you are active or to make sure that they know we disapprove of this change they made. Come on folks, do you really think they can not look at an account and see the last time it was logged in and at least in general track through the database and have some idea of what you did? Now that of course assumes they would want too. Think about, I have one million users, half of which are inactive. Does that really slow the system down that much if they are inactive (not near as much as you sending out a message to 10 friends saying send to this to 10 friends)? Further, if run the company and go to a potential advertiser do I want to say a million or half a million potential audience?
- Switching gears ever so slightly, the new version of the I-Phone is something I am strongly considering as a my Christmas present to myself. Figured it was about time to think about catching up with the new technology that I am usually about three years behind. I note today in some reading, in addition to a few other things I am still question about it, that it does have support for MMS, Multimedia Messaging Service, which is of course an extension of SMS that allows for the sending of large multimedia files like music, pictures and video. This is a sore spot for me, as that is a generally most basic function that should occur natively on anything labeled a smart device or smart phone in my opinion.
- I have seen noted where G-Mail is getting ready to offer an SMS ability. It has been delayed, however apparently the beta is available in the G-Mail Lab options. I hope they do a better job of this then they did with the Instant Messenger they have. I will not say it is horrible, but it does lack somewhat comparatively speaking to a Yahoo or AOL IM. Though I will also readily say it is nowhere near as bad as the IM that is available in Facebook.
I am sure I probably stepped on a couple of toes and if I did I did not mean to by any means. I just wanted to point a couple of things for you think about the next time you are sending something via a text and as always your individual mileage of such information will vary.
