Does Text Messaging Really Annoy Anyone?

[Tycho]

I am quick on the phone. It takes less time to leave a simple voice mail than it does to hit each key 3-4 times to get the right letter on your cell phone. Let alone I tire of using symbols and shift keys to get the right punctuation / grammar down.

Next, while I could spend for one of those phones with the full pull-out keyboard, since I loathe text messaging in the first place, why patronize it with $50 to $100 more bucks? (I get a good discount upgrading my phone for Verizon points or whatever their rebate offer is - but they still get at least $50 more off of me - and for what? Annoying me further?)

If paying to be annoyed is "in," JediTricks should pay ME to post on this message board (and bring Stillakid back and give him a salary!)

I cannot text you back when I am driving. When I am tired or sleepy, I don't want to wake up and concentrate so I can at least write something coherent. I'd rather just muble into the speaker.

If you cannot answer your phone, I understand. If it's urgent I can text you so you can read my message immediately: "Your house is on fire!" or "Want to see a movie that starts in about only another hour from now?" If it's not that important, I can leave a voicemail from bed without even opening my eyes: "Want to go to Disneyland NEXT MONTH?" I think you can phone, leave a voicemail, or text in plenty of time to respond to that.

But yeah, if you're in school, at work, or in a meeting, texts are convenient if important. If the message is not, check your darn voicemail because I'm NOT going to text you if I can help it!

And what is it with girls and texts?

They were never that electronically competent before. Remember when Atari Missile Command was for boys only?

[bigbarada]

I prefer text messaging because it's just less intrusive and a lot faster for the recipient to read a text versus dialing their voicemail and wading through all the menus to get to the new message (most of the time, my voicemail will make me listen to several old messages before it will even get around to the one new message). Personally, I don't even check my voicemail, I just call the person back and ask what they called about.

Plus texts are better if you are passing on names, addresses, phone numbers, flight information, etc. Because it's right there in front of you and you don't have to continually replay the voice message to write the info down yourself.

I deal with professional fighters a lot and I've found that they are much more responsive to text messages, because they can read and/or answer them at their convenience and it's been my experience that they NEVER check their voicemail.

[El Chuxter]

I find it extremely annoying. What's worst about it is that you cannot convince friends and family not to text you worthless, stupid, inane garbage. Someone wants to text, "What's up?" It costs me a quarter, whether I open it or not.

So I got text messaging blocked entirely on all our phones. It's ridiculous that cell phones replaced pagers, and now paging is a "premium" service that costs extra. I'm not going to be a part of it.

[Ando]

[FONT=Courier New]I prefer texts for a few reasons:[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New]1. I am on the phone ALL day long. The last thing I want to do is spend more time on the phone after work.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New]2. As Big Barada said, it's less intrusive. If I am with friends and someone wants to ask me something or tell me something, a quick text is much easier than picking up the phone, calling, having it go to voicemail, etc.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New]3. I get few calls anymore that are really that important and since I am on email and Facebook all day anymore, I am pretty much in touch and up to date on everything that's happening anymore.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New]4. Tycho, doesn't your phone have predictive text? It's way easier to type out a quick message these days than it was 10 years ago.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New]5. I don't have a headset so it's distracting if I am in the middle of something and have to hold my phone to my ear with one hand and try to shop, cook, clean, take a wiz, etc. And I probably don't want to talk to whoever is calling anyways.[/FONT]

[Darth Jax]

i don't like talking to people so i prefer to communicate via email or texting

[Bel-Cam Jos]

I will go the Twitter route and limit my response to under 140 characters:

Yes. Quite annoyed.

[LTBasker]

I think text messages have their purpose, but it's a very abused feature that has become a breeding ground for lethargy. I use text messaging every now and then as a convenient feature, but if what I have to say is anywhere near a conversational length then I'll just say it in a call.

[sith_killer_99]

I deal with professional fighters a lot and I've found that they are much more responsive to text messages, because they can read and/or answer them...

Insert illiterate joke here.

I do hate text messaging, they cost me 5 cents each, or 1/2 a minute from my (10 cents per minute) pre-paid service. Yeah, I use Net10, I'm not getting locked into any stupid contracts!!!

Anyway, texting has it's uses, but they should be much less frequent IMO.

Texting handy info, as mentioned, times, places, flight info, phone numbers, etc. is actually really handy.

What REALLY bugs me is someone who texts me and wants to have a whole freakin' conversation!!!

Many people do it because they get free or unlimited texting, so it costs them nothing and costs me a small fortune!

The perfect example was 11/5 here at Fort Hood. I burned up over 400 minutes, mostly by text, during the day of the shooting and the following days, in less than 1 week!!!

[darthbooger]

I need to think about this one....pm me your cell number Tycho and I'll text you back!
Darthbooger /Tycho = BFF!!!

[Tycho]

I prefer text messaging because it's just less intrusive and a lot faster for the recipient to read a text versus dialing their voicemail and wading through all the menus to get to the new message (most of the time, my voicemail will make me listen to several old messages before it will even get around to the one new message).

I just hit "1" and my voicemail immediately plays back my newest messages. (on Verizon). This is unless I'm saving old messages for whatever reason and the system wants to delete them. Happens only one time a month I think. And yeah, it's annoying like other things that happen only one time a month (every month)

Plus texts are better if you are passing on names, addresses, phone numbers, flight information, etc. Because it's right there in front of you and you don't have to continually replay the voice message to write the info down yourself.

Oh I agree with you there.


The thing is, people (especially girls) carry on whole phone conversations via texting. I really, really, really, really, really hate that.

No. I should now tell you how I really feel.

It costs me a quarter, whether I open it or not.

I just get unlimited texts (incoming or outgoing) from Verizon. I think it's $5 extra bucks. While I hate them, I'm single and hence if I meet a girl I really want to hear from, I'm at least not spending more money every time she contacts me.

I prefer texts for a few reasons:

1. I am on the phone ALL day long. The last thing I want to do is spend more time on the phone after work.

Yes, but I am very quick on the phone unless it's one of those later evening things - like "Let's talk to pass time and be lazy."

2. As Big Barada said, it's less intrusive. If I am with friends and someone wants to ask me something or tell me something, a quick text is much easier than picking up the phone, calling, having it go to voicemail, etc.

I agree. It is folks who have text conversations that really annoy me.

3. I get few calls anymore that are really that important and since I am on email and Facebook all day anymore, I am pretty much in touch and up to date on everything that's happening anymore.

Just in case you missed mine:

5:25pm - I am driving to the grocery store.

5:32pm - I just parked my car.

5:34pm - I have selected a shopping cart!

5:37pm - I have located the dairy section and am picking out a brand of milk.

5:39pm - I just remembered I need to bring home some butter!

5:41pm - I am thinking about getting the ingredients to make salad.

5:45pm - I have planned out and executed my journey to the produce section!

5:46pm - I need to quit this for a minute because there she is! Wow. Check out those melons!

Twitter is the biggest waste of time. And you can make sub-lists to text everyone if it's that important:

5:51pm - I met her boyfriend. The paramedics are now taking me to the hospital.

4. Tycho, doesn't your phone have predictive text? It's way easier to type out a quick message these days than it was 10 years ago.

I just bought a DVR. 10 years from now I plan to know how to use it. I also don't like predictive text. I'll make up my own mind how I'm going to say something.

5. I don't have a headset so it's distracting if I am in the middle of something and have to hold my phone to my ear with one hand and try to shop, cook, clean, take a wiz, etc. And I probably don't want to talk to whoever is calling anyways.

I agree with most of what you wrote, but I like to talk to people who call me, and when I can't talk, I carefully explain that.

What REALLY bugs me is someone who texts me and wants to have a whole freakin' conversation!!!

Many people do it because they get free or unlimited texting, so it costs them nothing and costs me a small fortune!

Thank you SK. I think that's part of it, too. People don't want to buy or used up what they bought of minutes - or are saving them - and so they converse via texting.

Well I'm declaring that I will not play that way. I'm leaving voicemail unless I know they can't answer their phone or listen to their v.m. at the moment I need to contact them, or it's directions or numeric info like BigBarada said, which is best written down in the first place.